Spiced Milk
by Jack of the North
Summary: Remus has decided he wants Hermione. He sets out to woo her and she's not resisting...
1. Chapter 1

Hermione sighed and turned a page over in the book she was reading. She skimmed over the page and shut the book determinedly. She'd already read it half a dozen times. There wasn't any new information she could gather from it and it was nearly three o'clock. It was time for bed.

Hermione stretch lazily and placed the book back on the shelf, in just the right spot.

_A warm glass of milk first_, she decided, detouring through the kitchen. She pulled out a saucepan and poured some milk it, setting it over the burner to heat. Adding various spices and flavourings Hermione hummed absentmindedly to herself, some forgotten lullaby from when she was a child.

"That smells really good," Remus said from the doorway making Hermione jump a good foot into the air.

"Prof – Remus, you scared me." Hermione turned away from her old professor to continue stirring her milk.

"Up late reading again?" he asked taking a seat at the old batter kitchen table that had sat in the Burrow for Merlin only knew how long. Hermione nodded and silently offered him a glass by holding out an empty mug. He nodded and smiled gratefully. Hermione poured out the milk and joined Remus at the table, setting a mug down in front of the half naked man in front of her. Well, not quite. He wore an opened robe over his pyjama bottoms but no shirt and Hermione could clearly see his firmly muscled chest. Nothing defined or sculpted like Harry, Ron and the twins who had Quidditch to thank for their bodies, but nice all the same, lean, one might say, not fat on his body.

Remus cleared his throat and Hermione's eyes flew up to his, away from the chest she had been so intently studying. Hermione felt her cheeks blush under his amused gaze.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked in an obvious attempt to move away from her embarrassing scrutiny.

"No," Remus said softly. "Full moon's tomorrow night."

Hermione nodded. Having lived at the Burrow with Remus for the past six months she had seen what the full moon could do to him. One night before the moon a few months ago, the men had decided to try and loosen Remus up. The result had been a drunk, randy and definitely loose Remus trying to chat up the women at the house including but not limited to Hermione, Ginny and Mrs Weasley. Mrs Weasley had yelled for a good hour at the boys, Remus included on the dangers of getting a werewolf drunk so close to the full moon.

Hermione chuckled at the memory. The boys hadn't touched liquor for nearly a month and still refused to drink at the house, sneaking down to the pub instead.

"What's so funny?" Remus asked taking a sip of his spiced milk. A calm enveloped his body as the warm milk washed over his tongue.

"Just remembering a certain sleepless pre-moon night a few months ago," Hermione answered, laughing quietly.

Remus chuckled softly too as the night in question returned to him.

"Molly refused to look at me for a week," Remus said, taking another sip. "You should have seen me that night, I was still hung over. An inebriated werewolf stumbling around the basement."

Hermione laughed at that image, having seen a drunken Sirius in dog form and knew it would have been hilarious.

"When does Sirius get back?" she asked suddenly, realising the man in question had been gone for nearly a week.

"Tomorrow, hopefully. He promised to be back before the full moon." Remus looked thoughtful for a moment before drinking the last of his milk and placing the mug back on the table. "If he's not back, I mean, if he doesn't get back in time do you think – if you want to of course – if you think you –"

"Spit it out Remus," Hermione laughed at the older mans stuttering.

"Well I know that you have a leopard animagus so I was wondering if Sirius doesn't get back and if you don't mind, if you would spend the night with me. It's easier if someone else is there."

Hermione sat shocked. Remus didn't like to bother anyone with his lycanthropy. He always made sure to pay Snape for the wolfsbane potion even though Hermione had offered to make it for free and shuffled off to St Mungo's if he had any serious injuries, not wanting to imposition Molly at the Burrow.

"Of course," Hermione said, realising that he was still staring at her, waiting for an answer. "I'll be happy to keep you company."

"If Sirius doesn't get back in time," Remus stipulated.

"Yes," Hermione said, nodding her head, "if Sirius doesn't get back."

Remus smiled gratefully at Hermione.

"Well, I better get to bed. I think that milk made me sleepy." Remus stood from his seat and deposited his empty mug in the sink.

"Yes," Hermione said, joining him by the sink, washing the cups out. "It will do that to you."

"So I'll see you in the morning?" Remus asked, reluctant to leave Hermione's presence. His gaze wandered over her low slung pj's and tight tank top.

"Yep," she smiled up at him, amused by his delay tactics and wandering eyes.

_Great,_ thought Remus_, this nineteen year old bit is laughing at me._

"Well, goodnight. Thanks for the milk." Remus ducked out of the room quickly, the blush rising on his cheeks.

_Get a hold of yourself man. You're a bloody werewolf for Merlin's sake._

Back in the kitchen Hermione just shook her head. Looks like she wasn't the only one caught staring tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Tad-ah! Next chapter! Cough cough **

**This chapter is inspired by the horrific head-cold I have right now. Don't you just hate them? They knock you on your be-hind and leave you feeling like death warmed up.**

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The next morning Remus woke up in a right foul mood. He paced around his room for an hour, silently cursing Sirius to the depths of hell for putting him in this position.

He couldn't figure out why he was so angry. On more then one occasion Harry had joined him and Sirius on the night of the full moon, so what if he had asked Hermione to join him. She was capable of protecting herself if anything went wrong, probably more capable then Sirius as a dog.

What was wrong with him? Last night when he had asked her it seemed like a perfectly sound idea. A natural conclusion to an annoying problem. He hated being alone during the transformation. It was his one weak spot when it came to his lycanthropy. He didn't like to imposition his hurt or his needs onto anyone but all that was thrown out the window at the thought of stalking around the basement alone like an animal in a cage. Even if that's how many people saw him he had worked very hard to rid his own mind of that label, and having someone with him helped reinforce his beliefs.

Finally after a stern talking to from himself Remus made his way down to breakfast to find everyone minus the witch who had been occupying his thoughts present.

"All set for tonight?" Harry asked as Remus took a seat next to him.

Remus simply nodded, grabbing some eggs and toast.

Talk continued on around him and Remus ate his food in silence. Normally he would talk with Bill or Arthur but both men had already left for work and he didn't feel like joining in Harry, Ron and Ginny's discussion about the latest broom in the Nimbus range.

He was about to get up to place his plate in the sink when Harry again engaged him in conversation.

"What are you going to do if Sirius doesn't get back in time?" Harry asked, reaching for more food. He was getting as bad as Ron.

"I've, ah, organised alternative companionship," Remus said, casting a worried glance at Molly. She disapproved when he, Sirius and Harry would crash around Grimmauld Place for the night, he knew she would downright forbid Hermione to do the same.

"Oh, who?" Harry asked curiously. Remus was saved by Molly who placed a hot toddy down in front of him.

"Will you take that up to Hermione please Remus? Seeing as your done and all? The poor dear came down with a cold overnight. Can hardly speak to save herself and she's sniffing and sneezing all over the place."

Remus nodded and with a 'sorry, duty calls' look at Harry picked up the steaming mug and made the journey upstairs to the room Hermione shared with Ginny.

He knocked lightly on the door and received a sneeze and a groan as invitation into the room.

Hermione was propped up in bed, a box of tissues in her lap, her hair all over the place. Remus gave her a weak smile and handed her the cup. She took a sip, gasped and placed it on the nightstand.

"Whisky," she wheezed. "I didn't think Molly would be into such old wives tales."

Remus laughed softly and took a sniff of the drink. He pulled it back quickly as the fumes enveloped his senses.

"Phew, that's strong. The woman does have seven children though so it will probably help," Remus offered. Hermione nodded and took another sip, her face screwing up as the concoction hit her throat.

"Bleh," she said hoarsely. She was happy to see Remus. Hell, she would have been happy to see Snape right then. Hermione knew what the boys were like, they dreaded illness and would refuse to visit her, scared to get sick themselves and as sweet and sensible as Ginny was, her and Harry were going through a phase where they couldn't stand to be apart for more then an hour at a time if they were both awake. Nope, Remus was likely to be her only visitor today, apart from Molly fussing over her.

She patted the edge of the bed for him to sit on and after hesitating a moment he joined her.

"So what happened? When I left you last night you were fine."

Hermione shrugged and pointed to her throat.

"Sore yesterday."

Remus nodded in understanding.

"I'll still help tonight," she rasped.

"No, no, don't even think about it. I want you to stay in bed and get better. Besides, I don't want your germs all over me," he joked. Hermione smiled weakly and coughed into a tissue.

"I'll leave you be, do you need anything?" Remus asked, heading for the door.

"Book," she asked, smiling hopefully.

"Sure, any one in particular?"

Hermione shook her head and Remus nodded and ducked out to retrieve her a book. He'd just finished one on the effects of lunar eclipses on werewolves that she would probably enjoy. After some searching he located the book under his bed and returned to Hermione's room to give it to her. When he opened the door though it was to find her fast asleep, tissue box cuddled in one arm, a spare pillow in the other, snoring lightly. He chuckled softly and left the book on her bedside table next to the half drunk toddy.

He let his eyes graze over her upper body, the blanket coming to her waist. He always had trouble controlling his urges around the full moon. He chastised himself for such an act even as the wolf in him leapt to attention, salivating at the though of possessing the young, innocent girl.

_But she's not so innocent,_ the wolf reasoned. _Go for it.__She's battled death eaters, been on the run with two boys, men and read every book in the Black library. I'm sure she could tell_you_ some things that would make your toes curl. _

Innocent in the ways of men, Remus reasoned quickly exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

"I hate the full moon," he whispered before going downstairs to check everything was ready for that night.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N slightly shorter chapter... sorry. Haha, I was just editing this, merlin I'm a dodgy speller.**

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"I'm here!" Hermione announced, carefully picking her way down the basement stairs. Her voice was better after a whole day of not talking but now she was stuffy and sneezing. "I'm here," she repeated.

Remus looked up from an old battered armchair where he was reading. He jumped up and rushed over to Hermione as she stumbled down the last three steps.

"Thanks," she said stuffily. She clutched onto Remus' arms and steadied herself, waiting for the room to stop spinning.

"Go back to bed," Remus demanded, trying to lead her back up the stairs.

"No!" She defiantly made her way across the room, transfiguring an old broken stool into a comfy armchair. Remus stared at her a moment before resuming his position in the chair beside her.

"What do we do now?" she asked, taking a tissue out of her pocket and blowing her nose.

"We wait."

Hermione nodded and settled into the chair, looking around the room at the boxes and broken furniture.

After ten minutes of silence punctuated only by Hermione's sniffling Remus put his book down and turned to her.

"I know I should say I wish you would go back to bed but my need to have another body present is overwhelming." Remus had the good grace to blush at his honest statement.

"I don't mind. I'm glad you are letting someone other then Sirius help for once. You're not an imposition to anyone." Hermione smiled reassuringly at Remus and he opened his mouth to reply.

"I'm here! Is it too late? Am I about to get mauled?" Sirius bounded down the stairs, stopping dead when he saw Hermione sitting calmly with his best mate.

"What are you doing here?" he asked bluntly.

Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius' lack of tact while Hermione blushed furiously.

"I was going to join Remus tonight but since you're here now, I'll just leave you to it." She rose quickly and was halfway up the stairs before Remus stopped her.

"Thanks for keeping me company," he said, taking her hand. Unwittingly he began to rub his thumb in slow, lazy circles across the back of her hand. Hermione glanced down at their joined hands but her gaze shot back to his eyes when he spoke again.

"Maybe you could keep me company another long sleepless night," he suggested.

Sirius watched the pair curiously from the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh? Next full moon?" Hermione asked confused.

"I was thinking maybe something a little bit sooner then that. Next Saturday? You, me, a bottle of wine and a burning fire. There are all sorts of things you can do in front of a fire." Hermione swallowed loudly as Remus' other hand made its' way to her hip, pulling her down a few steps until she was nearly flush against his body. "My favourite by far is to slowly, delicately remove every piece –"

"Moony!" Sirius barked, seeing Hermione's eyes go wide. She quickly took a step away from Remus, or Moony as it would seem and back up until her back hit the door.

"Sorry Hermione, just ignore him!" Sirius called. Hermione nodded quickly and fumbled for the door handle. "Can you lock it and put some wards up behind you? Thanks."

Hermione didn't even bother to answer, slamming the door behind her.

Remus smirked, stepping down the steps cockily.

"What the hell were you thinking Moony? You scared the poor girl half to death, control yourself a bit better next time."

Remus laughed. "She's no girl, trust me, she is all woman. And she definitely wasn't scared. I could see the lust clear as day in her eyes and I could smell her –"

"Enough!" Sirius cried, holding up his hands in front of him. "I don't want to hear anything about any part of Hermione. And I hope come tomorrow morning you feel right ashamed of yourself for trying to tell me."

Remus just laughed, returning to his seat and picking up his book. He could feel it, the full moon was close. The wolf in him was taking over and it was all he could do to stop himself from launching himself through the door and tracking down Hermione.

_Come on Remus, hold it together,_ he encouraged himself. _Think of Mrs Black's portrait, think of Minerva, think of that time the teachers got drunk and went skinny dipping in the Black Lake and you and James spotted them, think of Snape! Don't think about Hermione! Oh, dammit._

"Hermione and Remus sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Sirius sang.

"Very funny," Remus snarled. He turned a page in his book and gave in, his mind running over the fantasy he had suggested to Hermione.

"Moony is in looove," Sirius added some dancing to his singing and paraded around in front of Remus.

"Padfoot," Remus snapped, dropping his book.

"Oh, come on. I'm just joking," Sirius said, picking up Remus' book and throwing it back at him.

"No," Remus growled, clutching his stomach and doubling over in pain. "It's time."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Don't you think that spoil is one of those words where if you say it over and over it stops sounding like a real word? Especially when teamed with sport; spoilsport. It's starts sounding like a fungus to me. Something you would find growing on a mossy tree. Yeah, ignore me.**

Disclaimer: I don't know if I've done one of these yet. I don't own Harry Potter or the song the Macarena. You'll see ;)

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"What on earth is that noise?" Ginny asked, holding her hands over her ears and making her way towards the door. It was the following morning and far too early for such loud music; the sounds of the Macarena filled the Burrow. Hermione staggered out of bed and followed Ginny down stairs to the lounge room where the music seemed to be issuing from.

"Don't come in!" Harry yelled, hearing the two witches coming down the stairs, but it was too late. The girls had stepped into the lounge room. There, in their pyjamas, danced Mr and Mrs Weasley, Harry, Ron, and Sirius. They were doing the Macarena. Before they had a chance to process this and laugh their arses off, Hermione and Ginny found themselves being pulled into line with the rest of them and they started dancing.

"What is happening?" Ginny asked laughing as Harry wiggled his butt in front of her.

"Fred and George," Mrs Weasley said menacingly. "Their idea of a joke. The music is charmed to draw people closer."

"And let me guess," Hermione interrupted, "once you enter the room you are forced to dance until the song finishes?"

"Not quite," Sirius growled. "This is the fourth time the song's played. I came up to get some medical supplies for Remus and –" He paused for a moment while everyone jumped ninety degrees to start the next round of the dance, "- was drawn in. He needs them soon but as much as we call the twins won't come."

"We tried sending a patronus but they obviously ignored it. Though we didn't mention Remus so they probably think we're just being spoilsports," Harry explained.

The song was coming to an end and Hermione had an idea. She danced, patiently waiting until just as the song ended…

"Where did she go?" Ron asked looking around for Hermione who had disappeared. The song started again and those that remained behind danced on.

Hermione apperated into the basement to find Remus slumped in the armchair he had occupied the night before.

"Sirius?" he asked, lifting his head.

"No, he's busy. The twins are holding a dance class." Hermione rushed over to him, he was clutching at his side. She gently moved his hand away and was shocked to see blood stain the white t-shirt he wore.

"What happened?" she asked horrified. She cut the shirt with her wand and soon had the wound exposed. "I thought the wolfsbane potion allowed you to be in control."

"It does." Remus sucked in a breath as Hermione felt around the wound. "But Sirius was being smart and I leapt at him and ran into that."

He pointed over at a jagged exposed copper pipe that was bloodied at the end.

"Will you be right while I go and find the twins? We can't move you until their spell stops and I think Mrs Weasley needs to have a look at this."

Remus nodded and pressed the balled up t-shit Hermione handed him against the injury, applying pressure.

"I'll be right back." She turned and apperated into the twins' flat.

"Remus is wounded and no one can help because they're all dancing around like a bunch of wankers and you two are sitting over here laughing at what geniuses you both are!" Hermione shrieked at the twins who sat dumfounded at their kitchen table, grins frozen on their faces.

"Get over there and remove that bloody spell!" she cried. She apperated back to the basement to find Remus in the same position.

"Not long now," she said comfortingly.

"This wouldn't have happened if you stayed with me," he joked then winced.

"Yes but if I stayed we would be upstairs right now shaking what our mothers' gave us."

Remus laughed again and then moaned, pressing on his side.

"Sorry," Hermione said, smiling softly. "So what was Sirius saying?"

"He was teasing me."

"About what?" Hermione asked, checking the wound again.

"You," Remus answered honestly. Hermione's eye flicked up to his and then back down to the task at hand.

"Oh?" she said. "What about me?"

"About our date," Remus said, his pain suddenly forgotten.

"We have a date?" Hermione asked. Her breathing suddenly became shallow and her heart sped up.

"Well, not yet because you never answered me, but once you do we will." Remus smiled cockily at her. He had changed a lot since the war ended. He was still quiet, still very serious when he was around large groups but he was much more relaxed when he was with people he knew, especially around Sirius or the boys.

"I wonder what's taking the twins so long," Hermione said, flustered. "I might just go check on them."

Remus sighed and relaxed back into the chair, his pain returning.

"I don't bite Hermione and I wasn't thinking anything as explicit as what I described last night. Just dinner." He looked over at her and smiled at the sight of her worrying her bottom lip, looking torn between accepting and declining. "As friends." _For now,_ he added mentally.

"Um, sure okay. Oh, listen, music's stopped," she said nervously. A moment later Mrs Weasley came bustling down the stairs, still yelling at the twins over her shoulder.

"Hermione can you go and help Ginny organise Remus' room with clean sheets and get the first aide things ready?" Mrs Weasley asked, inspecting Remus' wound.

"Oh course Molly," Hermione said, practically running up the stairs.

Mrs Weasley placed a temporary numbing spell on Remus and after Sirius joined them seconds after Hermione departed they helped Remus up the stairs to his room.

They murmured comforting words to Remus but he was not listening.

He had made a decision the night before; he intended to have Hermione and he did not think she would mind one bit.

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**A/N You like? Yes? No? Too silly? Too OOC? I should stop writing and never post anything again?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Some of you have said Remus is a bit ooc but he's meant to be. He's far too serious for his own good so I thought I would liven him up a bit. Sirius is a bit ooc in this chapter too. But it's kind of explained later. This chapter is a little more serious too so be warned...**

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"How are you – ahchoo – feeling?" Hermione asked, joining Remus in the lounge room before lunch. The others were all off in various parts of the house and gardens amusing themselves. She had a funny feeling Harry and Ginny had locked themselves in Ginny's bedroom.

"Better then you I would guess," he said, handing her the box of tissues. She smiled gratefully and accepted them. He gestured for her to sit down in one of the armchairs littering the lounge room. His button-up shirt was unbuttoned and Hermione could see a white bandage wrapped around his abdomen.

"Still sick?" Remus queried. Hermione sniffled and nodded. She glanced around the room nervously before turning her eyes to Remus.

"So, uh, when did you want to go out?" she asked, quickly looking away again as she felt the colour creeping into her cheeks.

Remus sighed, "It's okay, Hermione, if you don't want to go out we don't-"

"I want to," Hermione interrupted, her cheeks positively burning now. "As friends, like you said."

She snuck a glance at him and smiled shyly at him while he grinned back.

"Well, I was thinking I could kick Sirius out of his house and I could make you dinner."

Hermione's lips twitched in amusement. "That's not very friendly," she pointed out.

"Well," Remus paused for a moment after drawing the word out. "What if we cook together? That's more of a friend thing to do."

Hermione pondered on that a moment before answering.

"Okay, how about Thursday?"

"How about Saturday? Thursday isn't a very romantic night."

"Lunch!" Sirius called, poking his head into the lounge room.

Hermione and Remus both jumped and looked guiltily at each other.

Hermione stood up and headed towards the kitchen. She stopped and lingered by the door.

"Oh and Remus? It's not meant to be." She winked at him.

She smirked over her should at the stunned look on the werewolf's face before joining everyone in the kitchen.

She groaned as Harry and George wolf-whistled when Remus followed not three feet behind her.

"Lover boy," George joked. "How are you feeling?"

"Long day," Hermione whispered to Ginny as she sat next to her. "It's going to be a long day."

Ginny just grinned before offering her the plate of sandwiches.

_Well, _Hermione thought, _what did she expect? That her and Remus could carry out an illicit affair at the Burrow right under everyone's noses? What? Illicit affair? It's dinner. A _friendly_ dinner. For friends. As friends. Just friends! Who am I kidding? I want more then friends…_

* * *

"You and Moony, hey?" Sirius asked, joining Hermione in the garden after lunch where she was tending to her herb garden.

"We're just friends and don't you have somewhere else to be? Like your own home."

Hermione viscously pulled out some weeds. Sirius was the third person to tease her about her 'date' with Remus and she was ready to hex someone.

"That's not nice Hermione, you wound me," Sirius grabbed his heart and pouted. She ignored him and pulled out some more weeds. "Besides, it's more fun here."

Hermione laughed and threw some of her discarded weeds at him.

"Seriously though," Sirius said, stretching out on the grass next to her, "what's going on with you two?"

"None of your business," Hermione said, her voice about an octave higher then normal as she shrieked at Sirius. She calmed herself down slightly. "Why do you care anyway?"

"Because you're my friend and I don't want you to get hurt," he said sincerely. Hermione turned to him, expecting to see a smirk or something similar but all she saw across his face was concern.

"Shouldn't you be saying that to Remus?" she asked, turning back to her herbs. "I mean, I'm young, flighty, irresponsible, and not ready to settle down. And he's older and wants different things, shouldn't you be warning me not to break his heart."

"No," Sirius shook his head. "Because you're none of those things you just described. This idiot Lavender girl Ron brings around sometimes may be but you're not."

"So, why are you worried I might get hurt?" Hermione gave up on her herbs, took off her gloves and stretched out too, adopting the same pose as Sirius.

"Because Remus is different since the war ended. He has been validated as a hero, he has a steady job, he has money coming in, he's not shunned in public anymore. He's never had the chance before to be just a regular carefree man and he's lapping it up."

"You're in the same boat, should I be warning all your dates the same?" Hermione asked, laughing when Sirius screwed up his face.

"I lived a wild life for the past thirty-nine years; I'm ready to settle down. Moony however, he's not. And I'm not sure where you stand, hence me not wanting you to get hurt. He's never held a girl's heart in his hands before Hermione. I doubt he'll even be aware if he breaks it."

Hermione snorted at his melodramatic words.

"I'm a big girl Sirius, I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," Sirius said and took one of her hands and squeezed it firmly. "I just don't want you to wake up in a years time, in love and expecting him to get down on one knee with a ring in his hand."

"That's not what I want," Hermione said, staring at their hands but her words sounded hollow, even to her ears. She knew it was silly and childish but after the craziness of the war, a man to love her unconditionally sounded like bliss.

"Yet. But I know you Hermione. For all your great aspirations, you are a woman who wants a husband, a home and a little one to call your own. There is nothing wrong with that, I want it too. Just don't expect Moony to jump in our boat with us."

Hermione tried to deny Sirius' accusations but the words were caught in her throat and her eyes started to tear.

"Sirius," she whispered. Then laughed. "Sirius, you get me going."

She shoved him lightly and he fell onto his back. "Shame on you. We haven't even been on our first friend date and you have me thinking about white picket fences and pet dogs."

He stayed on his back staring up at the cloudy sky and the swaying trees. She was so young, she didn't even realise yet she was falling for the wolf.

"Just keeping everything in perspective, love. Tomorrow will be here sooner then you think."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N This took so long to write. I wrote most of it the other day and then just stalled. I couldn't think of anymore to write. Anyway here it is now, how you like it. **

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Two nights later found Hermione, up late again reading, in the kitchen making her calming milk. She smiled as she heard the kitchen door open and someone sit down at the table. Without need to turn or ask she pulled down another cup.

"One more time of this and we'll have to turn it into a regular thing," Hermione joked, pouring Remus a mug of warm milk.

"I thought that was what we were doing. Mmm, smells good. Where did you get the recipe from?" he took a sip of the delicious spiced milk and sighed in contentment.

Hermione laughed at the blissful look on his face. He had smelled the milk from the lounge room where he'd left Sirius and Harry. They had smirked knowingly at each other before refusing his invitation to join him in raiding Hermione's milk.

"It's my grandmother's. She used to give it to me when I couldn't sleep." She joined him at the table, the same positions as a few nights previous and smiled slightly as the same calm comfortable feeling encompassed them.

"Did you spend a lot of time with you grandmother?" Remus asked curiously. He watched her as she ran a finger around the edge of her mug before looking up at him.

Hermione thought for a moment more and then nodded. "Yes, when I was younger. I was unplanned you see. My parents, though they love me very much, never planned on having children. They were doing really well in their practice and were called upon to speak at conventions and stuff like that so they would send me to stay at my grandmother's."

"Must have been lonely, growing up without brothers and sisters."

Hermione shrugged. "It never really felt it until I would stay at the Burrow. What about you, brothers or sisters?"

Remus hesitated for a moment, deciding what to say.

"I had a sister, but she died a long time ago." He looked like he was going to add more but stopped himself, not ready to replay that particular memory.

"Was she pretty?" Hermione asked surprising him. He respected her all the more for not prying when it was obvious he didn't want to talk about it.

"She was beautiful," Remus said softly. "An angel."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said quietly. She hadn't meant to dredge up old memories, she was merely curious.

Remus shook his head, trying to un-fog his brain.

"It was a long time ago."

They stared at each other in silence for a while before Hermione's lips quirked into a smile.

"Sirius warned me away from you today," she said, watching in amusement as a frown graced Remus' features.

"Really? What did he say?" He was curious as to what his old friend would say about him.

"That you would break my heart," Hermione said, smiling at him over the top of her cup. "That we want different things."

"How can I break you heart? After all, we're only friends," he smirked. Hermione laughed at his cheek. He was no better then the twins sometimes.

"So, how's your new job going?" she asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

Remus smiled as he began to talk about his new job in the Ministry. Hermione had actually recommended him for the position. He had never been so accepted and welcomed anywhere. Hermione's' heart warmed as she listened to Remus talk passionately about getting more rights for werewolves and raising awareness on them in an attempt to drop the stigma surrounding them.

"You know," Hermione said, grinning mischievously. "I think there is some left over mud cake. On a scale of one to ten, how angry do you think Ron will get if we ate the rest of it."

"Ten," Remus said laughing. He summoned the cake and it flew gracefully onto the table along with two forks.

"So what happen with you and Ron?" Remus asked, taking a bite of cake.

"What do you mean?" she asked, fighting Remus with her fork for the bit of cake she was going for.

He laughed and scooped it up, offering it to her with a wink.

"Everyone always said that you two were going to end up married with a dozen little red-headed know-it-alls running around."

Hermione stopped what she was doing and turned sad eyes onto Remus.

"You think I'm a know-it-all?" Hermione asked, hurt. She ignored the next bit of cake that Remus was offering and he replaced his fork on the table.

He sighed, "I didn't mean it like that. I think you are the most intelligent girl I know."

She stood up suddenly, glaring down at him.

"Thanks for the company Remus but I think I'm just going to go to bed," she said coldly.

She left her cup and fork on the table and headed straight for her room.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot," Remus said, smacking his hand against his forehead.

"You okay, Hermione?" Sirius asked Hermione as she hurried through the lounge room.

"Sirius," she jumped at the sound of his voice. "What _are_you doing here?"

"I was just leaving. I'm trying to convince Harry to move into Grimmauld Place, it's lonely over there." Hermione noticed suddenly that he had his cloak on and was standing next to the fireplace, floo powder in hand.

"Why don't you ask Remus?" She couldn't help the way 'Remus' came out a little harshly. "I'm sure he's sick of being cramped up here."

"I have, he says he likes it here." His eyes wandered over her bedclothes, the same from the other night, much like Remus had done. "I can't imagine why." He smirked cheekily at her and then threw the powder into the fireplace, shouting, 'Grimmauld Place'.

Hermione shook her head and started up the stairs.

"Damn Marauders."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N An update! yay for me. They're dat and some...almost fluff. Haha. The snogging will come soon. **

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"Are we going?" Hermione demanded. She stood in front of Remus on Thursday evening in a pair of jeans, a floaty top and ridiculously high pair of high heels. She hadn't spoken to Remus since the incident, choosing to eat out after work and then going straight to bed when she got home. She needn't have bothered though as Remus had been spending his evenings with Sirius at Grimmauld Place.

"What?" Remus asked dumbly, looking up from his game of chess he was playing with Ron. Ron tried to hide his grin as he watched the pair converse.

"You promised me dinner on Thursday night, it is now Thursday and I've come to collect," Hermione stated, tapping her foot slightly.

"I'll get my cloak." Remus jumped up, nearly knocking down the chess set, and returned a moment later, ready to go.

"We'll have to go out, I didn't plan anything because I thought…" he trailed off.

"That's fine. The Leaky Cauldron?" Hermione suggested.

Ten minutes later found them seated at an intimate table for two at the Leaky Cauldron, Remus a lot more composed.

"I'm sorry-"

"It's alright," Hermione said, interrupting him before he got any further. "I over reacted."

They were quiet for a moment as a waiter brought them their drinks and took their orders.

"I tried making your milk last night," Remus confessed.

"Oh?" Hermione said, trying to hide her smile. "How did that go?"

"Well," Remus leaned back into his chair, relaxing, "first I burnt my tongue because I didn't let it cool. Really the smell of the stuff should have put me off before it even reached my mouth."

Hermione giggled, "And then?"

"And then when the burning stopped the taste set it."

"Bad?"

"It tasted like socks. Old socks. Old Quidditch socks that had never been washed."

A few people looked over as Hermione's peal of laughing filled the room.

Remus' deep chuckles joined with hers and an elderly pair of witches smiled at the couple before turning back to their dinners.

"I've missed you," Remus said when their laughter had died down. Hermione blushed and smiled shyly.

"It's only been a couple of days," she said, concentrating on the salt shaker sitting on the table.

"Yes, a couple of long days," Remus said. Hermione was saved from answering by their meals appearing on the table in front of them.

Over dinner they filled each other in on the last few days and chatted happily about Ron and Harry's upcoming Quidditch game. The two boys may have been internationally known Quidditch stars but they still lived at home to have their clothes washed and their meals cooked.

"What about you? Do you think you will get your own place soon?" Remus asked, offering her a bite of his chicken. Hermione titled her head from side to side while she finished her bite.

"Maybe. I don't know. Probably." Hermione laughed.

"So you maybe probably don't know if you are moving out soon?" he chuckled. Hermione laughed again. "Leave me alone. I'm only nineteen. What's your excuse?"

Remus blushed and Hermione thought it was adorable.

"It makes me feel safer knowing that there are people who know how to stop me if something ever goes wrong."

"You don't worry that if something went wrong you might attack them?" Hermione asked. The room around them was mostly empty now and they lowered their voices to keep their conversation private.

"Molly and Arthur know what to do," Remus said mysteriously.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. She glanced over at the bar as a stumbling young wizard dropped a glass and Tom help him over to the floo and sent him on his way.

She turned back to Remus to find him watching her intensely. She didn't know why but she felt her body flush under his gaze.

"I know it seems like Sirius and me have a grand old time together but I'm dangerous, I could hurt someone."

"I'm not unaware of the fact," Hermione said, her voice just above a whisper. "I've seen you change Remus, I'm not stupid."

"No, no you're not." He smiled at her and grazed his hand across hers, which was lying on the table top.

"So what do they know that I don't? How would they stop you?" Hermione asked, turning her hand so Remus could run his fingers over her palm, sending shivers down her spine.

"They know to kill me."

Hermione snatched her hand away and stared at him in shock.

"You're joking," It was a statement not a fact. "It's still murder."

Remus sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He didn't want to go there but she deserved to know before whatever this was went any further.

"Do you remember my sister?" Hermione nodded, a worried expression gracing her features. "Not long after I first go bitten I got free of me chains and I …bit her too."

"She died?" Hermione asked shocked. He'd killed his sister?

"No," Remus laughed bitterly. "No. The next month we both changed and while my chains held, she broke free of hers. She wandered into a nearby forest and killed a group of boys who were camping there. The Ministry had her arrested and Dementors performed the Kiss on her. She died in Azkaban not long after. She was so young, she couldn't handle being there."

"The ministry did that? How old was she?" Hermione was horrified and now understood better why Remus fought so hard for his rights.

"It was a different time back then; You-Know-Who was on the rise, werewolves had next to no rights."

"That doesn't excuse the actions of the Ministry taken against a girl who could have been no more then eleven, a girl who had no control over what she was doing." Hermione was getting worked up and while Remus was touched she was so upset for a long forgotten wrong she was making a scene amongst the few remaining patrons. He threw some money down on the table and led the still fuming Hermione out the back, into Diagon Alley.

"Calm yourself," he demanded when she continued, drawing the attention of the people lingering on the streets.

She took a deep breath and released it, wiping angry tears from her eyes.

"How dare they?" she whispered furiously. "She was only a child."

She could not stop the sob that escaped and gratefully wrapped her arms around Remus when he drew her to him. It was one of her faults; she cared too much. She hated to see injustices performed by the government she now worked for.

Remus sighed and rubbed her back, one hand in her hair.

"It happened many years ago, Hermione. You must not let it upset you. There is nothing you can do."

A little while later Hermione composed herself and after drying her tears she looked up at Remus, tears shimmering in her eyes making them seem as big as saucers.

"I'll fight them for you. For you and your sister."

He smiled gratefully at her. In just one year, she had been made deputy Head of Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She could do anything.

"Thanks for the offer love, but this is my battle." Remus wiped a stray tear off her cheek with his thumb and kissed her forehead fondly. "Come on, we didn't have dessert. Let's get some ice cream."

_She's perfect, _Remus thought as they made their way to the ice cream parlour. _If I'm not careful I'm going to find myself in love. And that just won't do. _


	8. Chapter 8

"What's going on?" Sirius whispered. He had just flooed in to find WWIII happening in the Weasley's living room. He slid into a seat next to Remus and got comfortable, settling in to watch the action. Standing in the middle of the living room were Ron and Hermione, yelling at each other at the top of their lungs.

"Well," Remus said, over the yelling. "Harry and Hermione were talking about tonight's Quidditch match when Ron came in and asked Harry why he was talking to Hermione about Quidditch. In his words, 'it's not like she knows anything useful about it.'"

Sirius laughed at the youngest Weasley boy's foolishness. He will never learn.

"It was on for young and old then," Remus said, chuckling as Hermione made a verbal stab at Ron's manhood.

A crowd of Weasleys was gathering as the pair continued to argue and bicker.

Mrs Weasley stood by the kitchen door, worrying a tea towel as she watched the verbal sparing match.

"Just admit it, Hermione, the only things you know about are books and you can't learn Quidditch from a book," Ron said. Remus and Sirius exchanged glances. Ron was feeling either very brave or very stupid today.

"Well," Hermione said calmly, and everyone took a visible step back. "I'd like to see things from your point of view but I can't seem to get my head that far up my arse!"

Ron stood there spluttering and stammering before glaring at Hermione and storming outside. Everyone cheered and Hermione bowed before sitting down next to Harry and resuming her discussion on Quidditch. Everyone dispersed except for Remus and Sirius.

"We're going to the Quidditch game together," Remus informed his old friend as they both watched the laughing brunette. It was almost a beautiful thing to see her explode like that and then draw all that intensity and rage back in, so it was shimmering just under the surface. Her eyes glowed like red-hot embers and her hands twitched as she explained something to Harry but other than that, there was no evidence that she had ripped Ron's dignity to shreds only moments before.

"So I take it your date went well on Thursday, you haven't been around brooding since then." Sirius watch Remus carefully as his eyes swept over the girl in question.

Sirius could see the wolf lurking just below the surface, much like Hermione's anger. He could see it in Remus' eyes. The way he looked at her with a mixture of jealous protectiveness and primal ownership.

Remus finally turned back to Sirius. "Very well," he smirked.

"How well?" Sirius asked. He was a man after all and he had often wondered if there was a passionate woman hidden under all of Hermione's books and conservative robes. He had no doubt she could make a man happy in the home but what about the bedroom.

"Not that well," Remus sniggered, giving Sirius a slight shove. "I just meant that things are progressing along nicely."

Remus frowned for a moment and leaned in close to Sirius.

"I did, uh, tell her about my sister though," Remus whispered. Sirius leaned back to look at his friend, full in the face.

He was surprised. Remus never talked about his sister. Ever.

"What was Miss Granger's reaction to that?" He knew what a strong, compassionate woman Hermione was, but everyone has his or her breaking points.

"You know Hermione," Remus smiled. "She immediately wanted to storm the Ministry and demand equal rights for all werewolves."

The two men chuckled and Hermione looked over from where she sat. She gave them a dazzling smile and even winked at them before turning back to Harry. By now, they were both gesturing wildly. Harry was getting angry about whatever Hermione was suggesting and Hermione was throwing her arms out wider with each sentence.

Recognising another argument building, he called out to Harry.

"Don't you have to be at the pitch soon?" Remus asked.

Harry looked at his watch and seeing the time, jumped up. He thanked Remus for reminding him.

"Good luck tonight, Harry," Sirius said after Harry had called out the window for Ron to come inside. He ran upstairs to get his gear bag while Hermione followed him the whole way, up the stairs and back down again, talking hurriedly in his ear.

"Just let me do it on my own Hermione," he said angrily. Ron smirked at her as he too emerged with his gear bag. He was still angry with her and whatever she was being yelled at for; he was on Harry's side.

"I'm telling you Harry, she won't be happy. No girl wants that done to her at a Quidditch game."

"You're not breaking up with my sister, are you?" Ron asked heatedly, advancing on Harry and switching to Hermione's side.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid, Ron."

"Well then what's going on?" Ron demanded, stomping his foot like a four year old.

"You'll see," was all Harry would say before he fled out the door, away from Hermione.

Grumbling, Ron followed, waving goodbye to the trio left in the lounge room and shouting his farewell to his mother in the kitchen.

As soon as they were gone, the two men turned on Hermione, their questions flying.

Hermione held her hands up as if to physically block their questions and flopped down on the couch. "Don't ask!"

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**A/N I'm sure you can all guess what Harry's planning...**


	9. Chapter 9

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"Just save it Hermione!" Harry yelled. "Yes, you told me, yes you were right, yes Ginny made a fool of me in front of packed stadium. You know everything and I know nothing!" 

"That's not what I'm saying Harry!" she yelled back. He threw his gear down in the hallway of Grimmauld Place, where he was staying for the night, and stomped down the stairs to the kitchen. Hermione stomped after him, both of them yelling the whole way at each other. Remus and Sirius followed silently behind. 

"All I'm saying is that next time I give you advice you might want to listen to it! I know that Ginny likes Quidditch but she is still a girl. You could have waited until everyone left and done it on your own like I suggested but you insisted that you knew her and what she wanted. Now you are here with me instead of celebrating with your fiancé! Women want romance, they want to be swept off their feet. They _don't_ want their oaf boyfriends to propose to them in the middle of thousands of screaming fans, some shouting out quite rude obscenities. I'm a woman Harry, trust me!"

"So, what? You're all of a sudden the expert on romance? When was the last serious relationship you had? Oh, that's right! You've never had one. News flash Hermione, you can't learn love from a book!"

"Go to hell!" Hermione screamed at him and pushed past the two men, standing gobsmacked in the kitchen doorway. 

"You can take the witch," Sirius said hurriedly, pushing Remus through the doors and up that stairs. "Harry is, after all, my godson." 

Left with no other choice Remus cautiously ascended the stairs. 

"Hermione?" he called, poking his head into different rooms. He was almost glad that he didn't find her during his sweep of the first floor. He moved on to the second, listening for shouting or breaking objects. He wished he could have stayed in the kitchen with Harry and Sirius. An angry Hermione was not his ideal fantasy for post-game celebrations. He finally found her in the room she used when everyone stayed at Grimmauld Place.

She was not yelling. She wasn't throwing things. She wasn't even angry. She was lying in the middle of the floor, her hair spread about her like a fan, silently sobbing. 

The room was dusty from not being used in so long and her hair looked like she was going prematurely grey, much like his. 

"He's right you know," Hermione said. Her face was wet with tears and she didn't even attempt to wipe them away. "I've never had a real relationship, a real long term relationship. All my flings have been nothing more then school girl crushes."

"What about that guy from work?" Remus said gently, siting down beside her and brushing her hair out of her face. 

Hermione laughed bitterly. "You mean Eddie Carmichael who wanted me to run away with him to Poland so we could raise house-elves?"

Remus chuckled slightly, never having heard why exactly it was the two broke up. 

"Yeah, that was true love," she continued cynically. "A guy pretends to support S.P.E.W. and they think they can get into my pants. Men," she scoffed. 

Remus paused for a moment and then continued to brush her hair with his fingers. It was so soft. Like a cloud, he imagined and then shook his head. He may have had one too many firewhiskies at the game. 

"You love your parents don't you? Your friends?"

"Yes," Hermione said, sniffing. "But the love of a friend is different then the love of a man. I know nothing about romance. He's right." She broke down again, sobbing unashamedly into Remus' thigh. 

Remus had no clue what to do, so he just kept doing what he was doing, adding in some back rubbing and mentally cursing Harry for upsetting her like this. Eventually she calmed down but stayed lying on the floor, using his leg as a pillow. 

"Have you ever been in love, Remus?" Hermione asked quietly. So quietly, Remus wasn't even sure he heard her properly. 

"What was that love?" he asked, shifting slightly beneath her. Hard wood floors weren't the most comfortable things to lie on. Realising his discomfort Hermione sat herself up, sighing deeply while she did it. Remus squirmed for a moment, trying to get comfortable, but then thought of a better idea. Hauling himself and her up, he settled them so they were sitting on the edge of the bed side by side. The old bed squeaked under their weight before falling silent. 

"You didn't answer my question," Hermione said eventually. She was leaning against him heavily. After a day of fighting with her friends, she was exhausted. 

"Have I ever been in love?" He felt Hermione nod against her chest. "I once thought I might have been. But she loved another and I soon realised I was in love with the idea of what they had." 

"Are they happy?" Hermione asked. She lifted herself off Remus - she was practically lying in his lap - to look at him properly. 

"They died," he said sadly. "A long time ago. But I think they were happy." 

Hermione looked at him closely, seeing old ghosts pass through his eyes. It was the same look Harry got when he spoke about his parents. 

"Is that still what you want?" she asked softly. "Love? A family?" She didn't want to believe Sirius. She didn't want to believe that Remus was just stringing her along for a bit of fun. 

"One day, maybe," he said, just as softly. His eyes were fixed on her lips, the way they were pursed together as she contemplated his response. 

"Stop it," he said, leaning in close to her, only centimetres apart. 

"Stop what?" she whispered hoarsely, also moving closer. 

"Thinking."

Hermione's eyes fluttered closed as she closed the distance between her and Remus, firmly planting her lips against his. He didn't hesitate to kiss her back, pulling her to him so she sat over him, straddling his legs. 

She had indeed stop thinking, what little thoughts there were left in her head were centred solely on Remus. She gripped his shoulder while he held her hips securely in his strong hands. As the kiss deepened Hermione moved her arms around his neck, burying her hands in his hair, desperately trying to pull him closer.

A cough from the doorway stopped them in their tracks. They looked over to see a grinning Sirius and a sheepish looking Harry watching them. 

"Harry came to apologise," Sirius said happily, practically bouncing up and down. 

"Yeah, sorry Hermione," Harry mumbled. "I'll, ah, leave you guys to it."

Harry practically ran from the room and after sending Hermione a cheeky wink Sirius too, turned and sauntered back down the stairs, cackling with laughter. Remus and Hermione both laughed for a moment before Remus ran his hands over Hermione's arse, pulling her closer to him. 

"So, were where we?"

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**A/N This chapter is dedicated to Weasleyforme aka Emily for making her wait for the kiss and thanks to Grande.Vanilla.Skim.Latte for helping me with the kiss. Though I don't think she reads this story...**

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	10. Chapter 10

Hermione snuggled against the warm body behind her. She kept her eyes shut and breathed in the musky scent of Remus, content to just enjoy this moment a while longer. It was quickly becoming a morning ritual, she would wake and just lie happily against Remus before finally convincing herself to get out of bed and start the day. She didn't know if he was even aware that she did it or if he just slept through it, presuming she woke and got up straight away.

Some mornings she would stare at him, tracing old scars and noticing how much softer, calmer his face seemed when he slept. The stresses of work and his lycanthropy didn't crease his face and it made him look about ten years younger. She didn't know if she liked the smoother, younger Remus. She was so used to his harsh face; sometimes the calm one seemed foreign to her. She rolled over quickly, just catching Remus quickly closing his eyes.

"You big faker," Hermione accused, rolling over so she was straddling him on their bed.

"You're the one who spends your morning staring at me," Remus said laughing. He ran his hand up her thighs, taking her nightdress with his hands.

Hermione found a new favourite face; happy sleepy Remus. His hair was mussed and his eyes were still sleepy but his smile and his laughter filled the room and positively warmed Hermione from her head to her toes. She leaned forward to kiss him, steadying herself with her hands either side of his head while his roamed freely over her backside.

Down the hall someone started the shower and Hermione groaned, hating for the first time, living in the crowded Burrow. Given, it wasn't so crowded now that Harry had moved out into a little cottage, getting it ready for when he and Ginny married. He'd basically kidnapped Ginny in the middle of the night and taken her on a moonlit broom ride, apologising profusely and begging her to marry him. No one had said anything about the first failed proposal the next morning when Harry and Ginny had shown up at breakfast together, the large diamond shining from her finger. Harry had simply mouthed 'thank you' to Hermione over the shoulders of the Weasley's fighting to embrace the couple. She had winked at him and continued to eat her bacon.

"We better get up," Hermione said, stroking Remus' grey hair off his face. "The boys are having an early Quidditch match and everyone is going."

"We are?" Remus asked, still exploring Hermione's body with his hands, making her squirm though she tried to keep her face calm. "Where was I when this was decided?"

"I do believe you were-" Hermione gasped as Remus hit a particularly sensitive spot before continuing. "You were arguing with Sirius about something."

Remus' hands stilled as he recalled the conversation he had had with Sirius the previous night.

_FLASHBACK_

_"No," Sirius whispered furiously. He was at the Weasley's for dinner yet again and though no one could hear their conversation over the many voices, he whispered._

_"Not six months ago you were begging me to move in with you, why is it so different now?" Remus demanded. He'd asked Sirius if he could move into Grimmauld Place but Sirius had flat out refused._

_"Because that was when it was just you, now you come as a package."_

_Remus made a face, "So, what? You don't like Hermione all of a sudden?"_

_Sirius turned to him and leaned close to whisper in his friend's ear._

_"I don't want to have to ask her to leave when you break up with her. If _you_ leave , I don't want to have to pick up the pieces. I don't want to see how much you hurt her."_

_Remus was confused as to why Sirius held the continued belief that he was going to hurt Hermione._

_"I make Hermione happy, I'm not going to hurt her," Remus said. Sirius sighed and gestured out the door. Soon he and Remus were standing in the privacy of the garden._

_"She deserves the world, Remus. She deserves I love you's and a house of her own. She deserves to be with a young man who can give all that to her, not an old werewolf who doesn't realise when it's time to let go and settle down. Do you know that is what she wants? She wants to settle down; she wants kids and a stable life. You can't give her those things." Sirius ranted ardently, throwing his hands around to emphasise his point._

_"You mean _you_ can't," Remus said, comprehension dawning on him. "That's it, isn't it? You want to give her all those things but don't think your…worthy. So you can't stand that someone in exactly the same situation as you has her when you can't."_

_Sirius scoffed, "You've lost it Moony. I care about her as a friend. I care that you can't control yourself around the full moon. I care that you might hurt her. I care that she cares too much!" Sirius took a step towards and forcibly turned Remus to face the window where they could see Hermione laughing while doing the dishes. "She wants to save the world, one poor downtrodden creature at a time. That's all she sees you as, Remus; someone who needs to be saved. She's naively fallen for the romance of being in love with a werewolf. Someday you may get your act together, buy her that cosy little home she longs for, give her a whole brood of werewolf cubs and tell her you love her but what then? Will she still want you when you no longer need saving?"_

_Remus didn't say anything, just continued to stare into the house._

_"She needs someone she can love for who they are, not what," Sirius continued. "She needs a man, a young man who can make her see that the world isn't all about work and career and achievement. She needs someone who will take care of her, not the other way around. And while you are still a werewolf you are a walking billboard that screams 'save me!'"_

_"That doesn't change the fact that you want her too," Remus said, tearing his vision away from Hermione._

_Sirius however continued to look at her, contemplating Remus' words and what to say in response._

_"No it doesn't," he said finally. "But I know better."_

_END FLASHBACK_

"Remus?" Hermione said, waving her hand in front of his face. "Remus!"

He shook his head and stared up at Hermione, surprised to find her still sitting on him.

"What?"

"The Quidditch match," she reminded him. "We better get ready."

"Oh, right," Remus said, following her down to the bathroom, his mind still on his conversation with Sirius. He couldn't help the creeping feeling that Sirius was right.

"Hermione," he said suddenly. They stopped outside the bathroom.

"Yeah?" she asked innocently, turning back to him.

"I – I can't do this."

"It's just a shower Remus. I know you wolves don't like to get wet but it's a necessary part of life."

"No," Remus shook his head. "I can't do this." He gestured between them. He could tell the exact moment she realised what he meant because her face suddenly fell.

Her eyes teared and she shook her head in anger and sadness.

"Sirius said you would do this," she said, her voice barely audible but Remus understood every word.

"Of course he did," Remus laughed bitterly.

Hermione just stood there, one hand on the bathroom door handle, the other hanging limply by her side.

"I'm going to go," Remus said finally when neither made a move to leave or say any more.

"Where?" Hermione asked. He hadn't said move out but Hermione knew that's what he meant.

"I don't know but I'm making okay money at the ministry. I should be able to find something."

Hermione nodded, tears flowing steadily down her cheeks though she made no move to wipe them away.

"I'll let you know I'm okay when I settle in," he said. He made to embrace her but Hermione stepped back quickly and Remus let his hands fall to his sides.

"I'm sor-"

"Don't. Just – just go," Hermione commanded, the disappointment and resignation clear in her voice. She wasn't even going to fight for him.

Remus nodded and headed back to their room. With a flick of his wand his few possessions flew into a trunk. He grabbed it and not bothering to dress practically ran from the room. He couldn't stay there a second longer, couldn't test his resolve like that. He ignored Arthur and Molly's surprised cries and determinedly marched out of the house, past the wards and apparated away.

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**A/N I expect lots of reviews demanding they get back together! Was Sirius' point clear or was it just a bunch of waffle? I re-wrote it a heap of times but couldn't quite get it right... **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N If you didn't realise last chapter six months had passed and they had been together the whole time. **

**Most are pretty cranky at Sirius for interfering right now but don't worry, he will redeem himself. Maybe not yet, but he will. Also keep in mind that Sirius' opinion is just that, Sirius' opinion. Just because Remus believed him, doesn't mean that's how Hermione feels. I could have told you all this in review replies but most of you had the same reaction so I thought I would address you as a whole.  
**

**Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing! Love you all... The response to the last chapter was great.**

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Hermione sighed and closed the book she was reading. It was the same book she had been reading when her and Remus had their first milk together. She had deliberately picked it out. What could she say, she was a glutton for punishment. She laid her head down and bravely tried to keep the tears at bay.

"I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry."

She tried so hard and nearly had herself under control when she suddenly heard Remus howling in the distance. She knew it was Remus, his house wasn't too far away, fully equipped with a shed magically reinforced to keep him locked up during the full moon.

Letting the tears flow freely she contemplated the last two weeks. Well, two weeks, one day and sixteen hours, not that she was counting or keeping track or had spent the last three days fretting over how Remus' first full moon away from her would go. Who was she kidding? She missed him. More then she thought she would. Six months might not have been long in the grand scheme of things but to her it had seemed like they had been together for years. She had loved him. She hated that Sirius was right. Only it hadn't taken her a year to realise she wanted Remus down on one knee, it had only taken six months. She blamed the wizard world. In the muggle world six months would have seemed too short to be dating before getting engaged but in the wizard world, six months was long. Hermione had found herself pulled into the giggling girls at work's world and she soon held hopes of a perfect happily ever after with Remus. Sirius' words echoed through her mind as soon as Remus said, 'I can't do this.' She knew, she knew straight away what he had been talking about. But she'd played it off, laughed and made a joke, hoping he would change his mind or failing that, at least hoping to delay the inevitable. But no, he had said it and she had cried, he had left and she had been left behind, broken hearted.

"Bastard," Hermione muttered as a fresh wave of tears washed over her.

Sirius watched from the doorway, a pained expression on his face. He knew she would be hurt, he knew there would be tears but he thought, two weeks later she would be getting better. He knew there was love between her and his best friend but as much as he knew all those other things, he _knew_ Remus was no good for her. He wasn't trying to break them up so he could have her. What he had told Remus was true, he wanted her but he wasn't going to act on it.

Well that was the plan when he stepped into the room. The plan was to comfort her. Her welfare was all that he thought of as he kneeled beside her and gently wiped the tears from her face.

"It wasn't you," he whispered. She just looked at him, her big brown eyes full of tears and her bottom lip quivering. "He loves you, I _know_ he does, even if he doesn't. He's not ready yet to be the man you need him to be."

"I don't care," she cried. "He was man enough."

Sirius took a deep breath. Standing in the doorway her despair had saddened him, kneeling beside her it was taking all his strength not to grab her and kiss away the hurt. Or at least try to before he received a slap in the face.

Hermione sat up slightly and took Sirius' hands in hers.

"Promise me it wasn't me," she cried. "Please, tell me there was nothing I could have done. Tell me it wasn't something I said, or did. Tell me," she begged.

Sirius sighed distraughtly. "Hermione, give him time. Give yourself time. Is he really what you want?"

"I just want to be loved," Hermione sobbed into the front of Sirius' robes, throwing herself at him so they were both kneeling on the floor. "I just want to be loved."

_You did this, _a voice inside his head said. _You broke her heart. They were happy and you thought you knew better and now she's a broken, crying mess on the floor. Happy?_

Outside Remus howled again. Harry was with him tonight. Remus didn't want Sirius around, said he didn't trust himself not to hurt him.

Back in the house Sirius rubbed Hermione's back as she continued to weep, whispering words of comfort.

The first kiss was an innocent one; a comforting kiss to her brow as she shook and wept for her lost lover. The second was wet as she lifted her head to place a chaste kiss against his surprised lips. The third seemed to last an eternity, surprising both Sirius and Hermione in its intensity. His tongue selfishly plundered her mouth, taking what he could while she let him.

She didn't care. She had spent the last couple of weeks in a daze and was desperate for any contact and willingly allowed Sirius into her mouth. She relished in the control he took. He snatched at everything she offered, greedily holding it to himself to keep and savour later.

Until sense crept back into his mind, clearing the Hermione-induced fog that clouded his brain.

He broke off the kiss and she whimpered, leaning forward, towards him to recapture his lips but he turned his head away.

"This isn't what I wanted," he said, still holding her firmly in his arms.

"It's what I need," she said resolutely and determinedly pressed her lips against his.

He allowed her to take whatever comfort she found for a little while longer before he again broke the kiss, speaking with finality.

"You may think you want this now Hermione, but trust me, come tomorrow you'll hate yourself."

Using his last ounce of self-control Sirius picked himself up off the floor and left the crying Hermione alone in the darkened living room. In the distance, they heard Remus howl again and Hermione's cries joined his.


	12. Chapter 12

Three months later Hermione smiled brightly at Ron, winked at her date and turned to watch two of her best friends get married. Harry and Ginny were finally getting married and it seemed the entire wizarding community had turned out to watch it. Everyone cheered when Harry and Ginny sealed their union with a kiss.

Linking arms with Ron, the best man, they followed the newlyweds back down the aisle. Her eyes caught Remus' and she quickly turned away. Trying hard to concentrate as Ron said something in her ear, Hermione willed the angry thoughts out of her mind.

_I do not hate Tonks. I love Tonks. It's not her fault Remus is a lying cheating bastard who can't keep his dick in his pants long enough for you to get over him._

_**How is he a cheating bastard?**_

_Whose side are you on? He's a cheating bastard because three weeks after we broke up he had taken up with her._

_**Two weeks after you broke up you got with Sirius. **_

_Shut up, no one asked you._

"What was that?" she asked Ron, missing whatever he had said that now had him in fits of laughter.

Ron turned serious as he followed Hermione's gaze to Remus and Tonks who she was again watching.

"He doesn't love her," Ron said beside her.

"That's a terrible thing to say, Ron," Hermione chided. "I don't care anyway, I'm here with Dean."

Ron laughed at that.

"How did that happen anyway?" He looked over to where Dean was sitting with Seamus the pair of them watching their trip back down the aisle. "You went on one date and suddenly you two seemed joined at the hip."

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. We get each other, two muggle borns in the wizard world. He's there for me, I'm there for him. It's a very equal relationship."

"Good," Ron said, nodding in approval. "I'm glad. That's just what you need."

"What about you?" She elbowed him lightly while they paused so that Ron's Aunty Muriel could give loud advice to Ginny about her wedding night. "You here with anyone special?"

Ron laughed. "Hermione, its against the laws of nature for a best man to come to a wedding with a date."

Hermione smiled despite herself. "And yet it seems the opposite with Maids of Honour. If I were to have showed up single it would have been sad and pathetic."

"Especially with the ex happily in love with a new woman," Ron said, showing more insight then usual.

"That has nothing to do with it," Hermione said, her nose in the air. "I'm very fond of Dean, I really care for him."

"Yes, and I really care for you but it doesn't mean that it's enough to have a lasting relationship. You need some passion thrown into the mix."

"Don't you think I know that?" Hermione snapped. Ron, unknowingly, had tapped into Hermione's greatest insecurity. She and Dean were great friends but in the bedroom it was…quiet. It was a quiet bedroom and she wanted some noise.

"Hermione," Ron said, drawing her away from the well-wishers. They had reached the end of the aisle and he pulled her over to a quieter part of the garden. "I know you loved Remus, we all know that. But its time to move on. Don't be with Dean for the sake of being with someone because Remus is. It's not fair to Dean and its not fair to you."

"It just hurts," Hermione said, accepting the handkerchief Ron offered. "It's been months. Why is it still so hard?"

She dabbed at her eyes, hoping her makeup wasn't running. Ron pulled her into a hug and the two friends embraced, Hermione laying her head against his chest.

"Photos!" They heard Mrs Weasley call and reluctantly pulled apart, heading back to the wedding, Hermione plastering a smile on her face.

* * *

Remus watched as Hermione posed for pictures, smiling and laughing. She helped Ginny, flattened Harry's hair, straightened Ron's tie. She looked like she was having a grand time but Remus wasn't fooled. He'd seen Ron pull her aside. He'd seen her tears and his heart had wrenched against his chest as he had watched them embrace.

Beside him Tonks chattered on about Ginny's dress and the garden and Harry and just about anything that popped into her mind. He smiled indulgently at her and added a comment here and there but the whole time he kept Hermione in his line of sight. He could smell her clear as anything. Even out here in the garden with the flowers and the perfumes and colognes, he could smell her.

She smelt nearly exactly the same as she had except now instead of the slightly remaining scent of him it was that damn Thomas he could smell lingering on her. He unwittingly let out a low growl as Dean approached her, placing an innocent kiss on her lips.

"I know," Tonks said behind him, obviously interrupting his growl as response to something she had said. "I can't believe the public won't let them be. They're so happy, you think they could have their day in peace without reporters trying to break down the wards. I better go and check they're all secure."

He simply nodded as Tonks hurried off to check that the wards around the Burrow were still holding. He stood and approached Harry and Ginny to pass along his congratulations.

"Congratulations," he said, kissing Ginny's cheek and shaking Harry's hand. "You're parents… well, I don't suppose you need telling they would be proud."

"It's nice to hear anyway," Harry said, smiling.

"Well, they would. Especially your mum, she would have loved you Ginny."

"Thanks Remus," Ginny said, smiling broadly too.

"That was kind of you," Hermione said from behind him. Remus turned to face her as Harry and Ginny moved on to more guests. "He doesn't show it, but he's really upset that this is yet another big moment in his life that his parent's aren't here for."

"He's tough, he'll be okay. He's got friends like you, what else does he need?" Remus stepped closer to her, so they could talk more privately without half the guests trying to listen in and get the next chapter in the saga.

"Friends like you?" Hermione suggested. "I know you haven't been around to the Burrow in a while but I just want you to know that I'm okay. I mean I'm okay with you coming around. Don't stay away because of me."

"Okay," was all Remus said. He didn't trust himself to say anymore.

Hermione nodded and they both stood staring at each other a moment longer.

"I miss you," Hermione said before turning and heading straight into the crowd, making it impossible for Remus to follow her without making a scene.

"All good," Tonks said happily, joining Remus where he was still staring into the crowd were Hermione had disappeared. "You okay?"

"Fine," Remus muttered, tearing his gaze away and to his girlfriend. He smiled at her and took her hand, "I'm fine."

* * *

**A/N It's easy to portray Tonks as a cow so i wanted to try and make her a nice Tonks who is not trying to be mean or nasty, she like Remus too. Also there will be some more Sirius action for you Sirius lovers out there.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N This chapter is dedicated to Ducky aka Evelyn's Journey to make up for the big fibs I told her about Sirius and Hermione. I promised her that anything between Sirius and Hermione would be short and non sexual but well you'll see... **

**I think I managed to turn just about everyone against Remus last chapter but I think by the end of this one you'll be back to rooting for Remus and will now be angry at Hermione and totally confused about Sirius... **

**Anyways... tell me what you think of this chapter.**

** I've thrown my chapter plan out the window so any suggestions will be taken very seriously. I don know where it will end but how we get there is anyone's guess...  
**

* * *

"Dance?" Sirius asked, already knowing the answer.

"Don't you dare offer me that charming smile and expect me to fall at your feet. You haven't been forgiven yet." Hermione turned away from Sirius, watching the guests dance and sway happily to the music.

"At least I'm making an effort. Would you rather us stay angry at each other for the rest of our lives?" Sirius asked, moving to stand in front of her, forcing her to look at him.

"Yes!" Hermione said brightly and went to stalk off to another part of the reception. Sirius grabbed her wrist and forced her to sit down with him at a nearby table.

"Let it go!" Sirius hissed in her ear. "Your happy with someone your own age, Remus is happier with someone who suits him better. What's the problem? Why are you still so angry?"

"Because I was happy!" Hermione said angrily, her voice low. "_We _were happy. And you thought you knew better. You thought you knew what was best and you poisoned his mind!"

"Hermione keep your voice down," Sirius said, glancing around the nearby tables. People were starting to look over at them, Remus and Tonks included. Fortunately, Harry and Ginny were on the dance floor, oblivious to the drama.

"I will not keep my voice down!" Hermione cried and stood up so she could look down at him. "What's the matter with you? Do you like screwing with people's lives? People's hearts? You ripped us apart and then when I asked you for comfort and support, you turned me away! I had to demand it! And then you wouldn't speak to me. What exactly were you trying to pull?"

"You took something I didn't want to give," Sirius said, also standing.

"I think I had earned it after what you put me through," Hermione said heatedly, jabbing her finger into Sirius' chest.

"It wasn't a quest with me as a reward. I did what I thought was best, that you sought me out wasn't something I planned on."

"You came to me! I was crying and broken and you came to me. Everything would be fine if you had left me be. I _might_ have moved on but you muddied the waters."

"I might have come to you initially but you followed me," Sirius whispered. "You thrust yourself into my bed, knowing I wouldn't say no. I didn't take advantage of your vulnerability Hermione, you took advantage of mine."

FLASHBACK

_After Sirius left Hermione he flooed back to Grimmauld Place. His heart was racing and three times he returned to the kitchen to go back to her._

_Back in his room his stripped off his clothes and made his way to the shower, letting the cold water run over his body and wash away his desire. It didn't work all that well and when he returned to his bedroom his body was still buzzing. He could still taste Hermione, her lips, her skin, her tears._

_"He's your best friend and you just want what's best for her," he said angrily to himself. "You do not want her. It would ruin everything if you were to be with her. It would destroy everything you had planned for her."_

_"Would it really be so bad?" Hermione asked from the doorway. Her tears had stopped but her voice was still thick._

_Sirius grabbed for his boxers and quickly put them on, covering his nakedness._

_"You can't be here," he said stoutly. "Go home."_

_Hermione shook her head and stepped into the room._

_"Isn't this what you wanted?" she demanded. And Sirius knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, despite his reasoning of 'it's for the best' and 'they will be happy apart', that this is what he wanted. He was always well aware that this was something that might happen, something he hoped would happen. He knew when he went to her when she was crying that this was where the path may lead._

_"It's wrong," he said eventually, his eyes wandering over her body. She had changed into a barely there silk teddy and he could feel his body tightening in response._

_"You started this whole thing Sirius, you set in motion the beginning of the end. Don't you think you should get to reap the rewards?" Her voice was bitter and angry. He knew she was only there to be spiteful. To hurt someone. Who he didn't know; herself, him, Remus? It was anybody's guess._

_His chest heaved as he struggled against his inner demons._

_"Remus…"_

_"Was foolish enough to listen to you and break my heart. I don't care about Remus."_

_"You do."_

_"Not now, not tonight."_

_"Half an hour ago you could barely breathe so great was your hurt. Don't do this Hermione. It's not the way to win him back."_

_"I'm not trying to win him back!" Hermione cried. She advanced on Sirius and placed a hot kiss on his mouth, moving down his jaw line and across his neck, making him groan. "I made the decision to not fight for him. I made the decision to kiss you and I made the decision to come here. Nothing else matters. I've come to be with __you."_

_"Why?" Sirius demanded, detaching her hands from his body. "Why now, why tonight, why me all of a sudden?"_

_"Because you will let me. Just let me," she said and thrust her tongue into his mouth. His grip on her wrist slackened and he let go of them to bury his hands in her hair. He felt a soft hand wander up his chest, the other gripping onto his shoulder._

_He lifted her onto his hips while she wrapped her legs around his waist, keeping her in place. Lowering her to the ground, he delighted in the feel of her body beneath his. Tomorrow she would come to her senses and he would never get to experience this feeling again._

END FLASHBACK

"Will you two stop airing our dirty laundry out in front of your best friends' and Godson's wedding guests?" Remus demanded, whispering furiously at Hermione and Sirius. They glanced around, noticing that they had the attention of nearly all the guests. Tonks stood just behind Remus, a curious look on her face while Dean watched on from over near the dance floor, not quite understanding what was going on but knowing that something was up.

Hermione looked at Remus. His face was neutral and calm but his eyes shot daggers at her and Sirius. She realised in that instant he hadn't know about her and Sirius. This was all news to him. Suddenly the world spun and everything became too much for her.

"Excuse me," she muttered, staggering away. She didn't get three feet before the world went black and she fainted, falling against a table glass flying everywhere.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Thanks to Grande.Vanilla.Skim.Latte for the throwing salt line and Remuslives for reminding me of flashing eyes - i couldn't be bothered rewriting it so it reads a little awkward... **

**There is a lot of talking/yelling in this chapter but read through and the next chapter won't be so angry and hurtful...**

**O****h and this chapter has a naughty 'f' word in it, sorry...  
**

* * *

"You're not pregnant are you?" Sirius asked as soon as Hermione opened her eyes. She snorted and batted away his hand that was dabbing her face with a wet cloth.

"Of course she isn't," Remus snapped to the left of her.

"I hope she isn't," Dean added, looking pale to the right of her. Well, as pale as he could with his dark skin.

"I'm just stressed from ex-boyfriends and lovers attacking me!" she said looking pointedly between Remus and Sirius. Sirius blushed and looked away but Remus just glared back. Dean looked awkward and out of place.

She looked around the room and realised she was in the Weasley living room. Outside the party went on and Tonks hovered by the doorway.

Hermione suddenly became aware of a stinging and looked down at herself to find she was covered in many cuts, some of them quite deep.

She hissed as Sirius wiped at some blood.

Remus' anger at them only increased as he watched the how gentle and careful Sirius was with her. Dean too was watching the pair, a look of concentration.

_Uh oh, looks like Hermione is going to be short one boyfriend by the end of the night. Then you can ditch that blithering idiot and get back with Hermione. _

Remus shook his head of the wolf's thoughts. The full moon was still a week away but the more unhappy Remus was, the more often his alternate personality would rear its ugly head. And yes, Remus was unhappy. Tonks was a nice girl but at the end of the day, there was no spark. He had a quiet bedroom and he wanted his loud, Hermione-filled bedroom back. At least he did until he realised just exactly what Sirius and Hermione had been arguing about.

Now he didn't know what he wanted.

"Alright, everyone out!" Mrs Weasley called as she entered the room holding a bowl of water, a cloth and some smelly ointment. Tonks was the first to leave, happily exiting the tense room. With a kiss to her forehead Dean was the next to go. Sirius lingered, waiting for Remus to leave also but Remus remained stubbornly in his seat. Glaring at his old friend Sirius too left the room.

Hermione rolled her eyes when she saw Remus was the only one left besides Mrs Weasley. The older woman was wiping Hermione's cuts and applying the smelling goo.

"What?" Hermione demanded of Remus when he didn't say anything, just sat there and watched her. He was leaning towards her, his forearms resting on his knees, a dark expression on his face. Mrs Weasley looked anxiously between the two, waiting for the explosion. "Come to rub salt in my wounds?"

"I think we've thrown enough salt at each other, don't you?" Remus answered calmly.

Hermione just shook her head, unable to form coherent words that could express the hurt and rage she was feeling.

"Don't you dare sit there and tell me about being hurtful. You broke up with me Remus, I was free to date who ever I wanted."

"You mean fuck!" Remus shouted, slamming his hand down on the coffee table. Mrs Weasley jumped from the sudden noise, accidentally smearing the ointment all over Hermione's dress.

"Oh, sorry," she said flustered, hastily dabbing at the dress. But Hermione didn't notice, her and Remus had seemed to forgotten there was anyone else in the room.

"Yes, I screwed him! Happy now? Is it easier to hate me? Is it easier to stay away? Can you crawl back into bed with Tonks guilt free now?" Hermione shouted, getting more and more worked up.

"Stop it! Just stop talking, Hermione!" Remus cried. Hermione visibly flinched away from his stormy face and flashing eyes. She had never seen him this angry, ever. "You don't have any idea what you are talking about! You don't know how hard these months have been."

"Of course I don't!" Hermione yelled back. "Because you won't talk to me. You wouldn't answer my owls. I begged you Remus, pleaded with you to talk to me but you were unyielding in your refusal of me."

They were both standing now. Mrs Weasley's pleas for Hermione to stay lying down fell on deaf ears as the former lovers faced off.

"So you slept with my best friend as pay back? Some warped attempt to get me to listen?"

"I slept with Sirius because at the time it was what I needed," Hermione said, her face stricken and pained.

"And you didn't care what it would do to him! Do you have any idea how much he loves you? He cares more about you then I've seen him care about any woman since Lily died!"

"He's not the only one though, is he?" Hermione demanded, a look of self-satisfaction on her face. "James Potter wasn't the only Marauder who loved the fair Lily Evans. Maybe that's what you are so angry about. You lost Lily to James, me to Sirius and you are left with clumsy Nymphadora Tonks as the consolation prize."

"Hermione, that's enough," Mrs Weasley intervened but the two only had eyes for each other.

"Oh and Dean Thomas is so much better? You know, his wizard father ran out on him when he was a baby, so watch him, he has commitment issues. Better luck next time. Maybe you should try another older man. I hear Severus is still single."

"Remus, stop it." Mrs Weasley had never been ignored so much in her life. None of her children would ever have dared.

"Yeah, maybe I will go after him. I'm sure he'll at least stick around long enough to tell me he loves me before he breaks my heart."

"How could anyone ever love a bossy know-it-all like you? Hell, your parents didn't love you enough to keep you around. Tell me again why you spent all your summers at the Weasleys, Hermione."

"Enough!" Mrs Weasley yelled, effectively silencing the two. Hermione was ready to hit him and Remus looked like he was about to bail altogether.

"There is hurt between you two, we know that. There is pain and betrayal. But you are at my _daughter's_ wedding. If you two cannot be in the same room together then one of you leave! Now is not the time to hash it out."

"Sorry Molly," the both muttered, their anger replaced by shame.

"Hermione, lie back down, your dress is ruined. Remus, I think Dora will be looking for you."

With one last glance at Hermione, filled with shame and regret Remus fled the room. Hermione sighed and fell back on the lounge, tears over coming her as Mrs Weasley silently tended to her wounds.

* * *

**A/N 2... I have never broken two hundred reviews but with spiced milk I feel it might happen... you guys have been great with reviewing so thank you thank you thank you and keep it up! **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it. Well not enjoy but you'll see...**

* * *

Three weeks passed. Three very uneventful weeks for Hermione. Her and Dean drifted apart, she hadn't heard from him in a week and it didn't seem likely that she would. Harry and Ginny went on their honeymoon only after Hermione assured them that she was fine and had apologised profusely for causing such a scene. She hadn't heard from Sirius or Remus, not that she was surprised.

Today, however, herald a change in all the uneventfulness. Today she was starting her new job as Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She was so excited; she was finally in the position to really make some changes. She settled into her seat, pulled out the schedule her secretary had handed her and groaned when she saw her ten o'clock meeting. It was with the head of the werewolf control division, one Remus Lupin.

"Great," Hermione muttered to herself, pulling out the files she would need and started reading the report Remus had submitted the day before. The changes he suggested and the new laws he had outlined were great in theory but, honestly, they gave far too many liberties to werewolves. And so she told him an hour later.

"You are suggesting giving all werewolves the same rights as any wizard," Hermione pointed out. Remus nodded from the other side of her desk. He'd been completely professional since he'd stepped through the door.

"I'm sorry Remus, that's just not a viable option. At the very least, we need a werewolf registration. Not everyone is like you and takes the wolfsbane potion and makes the effort to secure themselves from the public. If I let the general werewolf population have free reign then it effectively would be the same as having no guards at Azkaban and trusting the prisoners not to escape."

He smiled at her analogy before pulling out another Bill.

"Okay, I get that, but what about my suggestion to at least allow long term, trouble free werewolves to remove themselves from the registry? "

Hermione sighed, she knew he would push this point. "Remus, that's not fair to the other werewolves. It only takes one missed potion or rusty lock and then the werewolf is roaming free, affecting others."

Remus scoffed. "Forcing us to register like muggle sex offenders isn't fair, Hermione."

Hermione sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Remus, stop fighting me on this. We both know that we are a long way from accepting werewolves as equals. I hate it, you hate it, but that's the way it is."

They stared at each other over the desk and though they didn't know it, they were both recalling their conversation about Remus' sister.

"I haven't forgotten her," Hermione said. "I'm making moves to make sure everyone, werewolf, vampire, house elf gets a fair and just trial. I know it doesn't change what happened but I hope –"

"It does." Remus said, interrupting her. He knew what she was going to say and he didn't' want her sympathy or pity. "Help. It does help."

She nodded. "Good, I'm glad."

They sat awkwardly, not sure what to do or say now that the work part of the meeting was over. It was nearly lunch time and if it had been anyone else they may have made plans to dine together.

Hermione sighed and biting her lip, took the plunge.

"What I said was horrible. It was rude and mean and ignorant and I had no right to talk about James…or Lily or any of it. And I'm sorry. I really am."

"You may have been rude but I was just cruel. I took advantage of something you told me in confidence. Let's just agree we were both awful and that emotions were running high and try to –"

"Forget?" Hermione suggested.

"Move on," Remus amended. "I think it would be foolish for us to try and forget. I know I couldn't."

Hermione looked ashamed and suddenly found the files on her desk very interesting.

"Forget you," Remus said quickly, realising Hermione had misinterpreted his comments. "I could never forget you."

Hermione offered him a shy smile and glanced up from her files.

"I couldn't forget you either Remus."

They were both startled by a knock on Hermione's door. It opened to reveal Hermione's secretary, Gladys, looking harassed and flustered.

"Miss Tonks urgently requires to speak with you, Mr Lupin," she said glancing over her shoulder. Hermione did too, only to see Tonks looking half angry and half nervous, impatiently tapping her foot on the ground.

"Right well, same time next week, Miss Granger?" Remus asked.

"Yes and I'll submit the changes you suggested about making wolfsbane subsidised at the apocathary."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

* * *

"Remus!" Hermione said surprised, later that night. She had gone to answer the knock at the back door. Everyone at the table turned to the door, curious what he was doing there. He glanced over Hermione's shoulder and waved awkwardly to the Weasleys and the Potters brazenly staring at him.

"Can I –" Remus' voice broke and he cleared his throat and tried again. "Can I talk to you. In private?" he added, glancing at the crowded dining room table.

"Umm, yeah sure. I'll just go grab my coat and we can talk in the garden." She turned to get her coat but Mrs Weasley was instantly at her side, coat in hand. The older woman looked over joyed, no doubt thoughts of reconciliation and a happy again Hermione speeding through her brain.

Shooting Remus confused looks, Hermione followed him out into the garden. Dark storm clouds hid the quarter moon and the breeze that blew steadily was tinge with rain, making everything misty and wet.

Remus led Hermione to an old bench and after drying it for her, she sat. He paced in front of her, back and forth along the length of the bench.

"This is never…" he paused to speak and then started pacing again. Hermione just watched him, her confusion and some apprehension growing.

"When I started with her…"

Hermione wanted to reach out and still his frantic pacing but she recognised his manic behaviour and knew she couldn't hurry him or try and slow him down.

Finally he stopped and dropped to his knees in front of her, the fabric that made contact with the ground instantly soaked through, though he didn't feel it.

"When I took up with Tonks, it was a way for me to forget about you. It's not what I wanted but I knew it would be best for you. I thought you would be happier without me."

"Never," Hermione said before she could stop herself.

A pained expression crossed his face as he realised Hermione was getting her hopes up.

Hermione, unfortunately, took it for pain that he had hurt her at all.

"I admit, that my motives for being with her were completely selfish. Though I care for her, I don't love her. Not like," Remus swallowed audibly before continuing, "not like I love you. But something has happened, Hermione. Things have changed."

"Oh," was all Hermione could say, her heart soaring and then plummeting back to earth.

"I've asked Dora to marry me. Hermione, she's pregnant."

Hermione thought she was going to be sick, she pushed Remus out of the way and walked aimlessly around the garden. She stopped only when a tree got in her way, and leaning against it, her head against its rough surface, she worked to control her ragged breathing.

"I don't know what you want me to say," she said when she heard Remus behind her, his breathing also strained. "I – I don't know why you are even telling me."

"Liar," Remus accused and they both knew she was. Now she could feel him standing less then a foot behind her, so close that if she stood up straight her back would brush against his chest. But she stayed leaning against the tree for support. She didn't trust herself to stand alone.

"Are – are you happy?" she asked finally.

"I don't know," Remus answered honestly. "A werewolf having children… it's not common. When I was younger it was something that appealed to me."

"But are you happy?" Hermione asked, finding the strength to stand up, turn around and face him It was important to her that she knew the answer. It was important that she looked him in the eye when he told her he was happy with another woman. She didn't think she would be able to move on unless she knew he was truly happy.

"Let's just say that any baby day dreaming I did in more recent times, Tonks wasn't the mother of my children," he said, looking at her meaningfully.

The tears were down her cheeks before Hermione even realised she was crying.

"Wrong answer."

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**A/N So I'm contemplating breaking everyone's hearts and ending it here but I'm not that cruel. Okay, yes, I am that cruel so let me know what you think, if you want me to continue or just leave it here...**

**I can't promise that if I continue they will get back together but there is a high possibility...**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N You guys kicked arse! Thank you to **Foxxxxx44** who was my 200th review. Hehe I'm all tingly. So here is another chapter because you all wanted more, not one of you said, yep bittersweet ending good work. I guess I'm alone with my delight in sad endings... I think it comes from the unhealthy amount of times I watch Titanic. And my favourite book ends sadly too... Hmm...**

**Thanks to Remuslives for looking it over and spanking Remus when he wouldn't behave hahaha**

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"Happy birthday!" the crowd shouted. Molly cried out in surprise, holding her hand to her heart before breaking out into a wide smile. Her entire inventory of family and friends were assembled at her daughter and son-in-law's house, apparently to give her a surprise birthday party.

She moved through the crowd, thanking everyone and saying hello to people she hadn't seen in years. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, which was odd. The backyard was filled with people, all of them moving, yet Hermione sneaking into the house struck her as odd and so she watched the house. A couple of minutes later, with a glance over his shoulder, Remus too entered the house. Not sure wether to smile or frown she instead sought out where Tonks was and spotting her talking to Ginny, one hand on her growing belly, she frowned.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Hermione was surprised when she turned around to head back outside only to smack straight into Remus' firm body.

"Don't do this," Hermione begged before he had even said anything.

"I don't love her Hermione, I have to do it."

"It will break her heart," she reasoned.

"I'm starting to think that no, it won't." Remus ran a hand down Hermione's side, over her hip. "When I came home from that trip last week, I could smell another man had been there."

"You think she's cheating on you?" Hermione asked shocked. She didn't like Tonks. Who would in her situation? But she still didn't think the woman would cheat on Remus when she was pregnant with his child.

"You don't think the baby is yours," Hermione said, jumping to conclusions.

"The baby is mine, I'm sure of it," Remus said and her heart plummeted. "She gets sick and angry around the full moon. Irrationally angry. Her cravings have been similar to the foods that I enjoy; rare steaks, roast chicken, spiced milk."

Hermione laughed at the irony of Tonks craving spiced milk.

"So that's why you asked for the recipe," Hermione said, laughing bitterly. She thought Remus had been trying to keep hold of something that was special and unique to them. But no, he had been trying to make the drink for his pregnant fiancé. Perfect.

"I'm going to leave her," Remus said, shocking Hermione. "And it has nothing to do with you or her or the baby. I'm not happy with her Hermione. I'm convinced she isn't either but I'm also sure she hasn't actually cheated. While another man had been there, they didn't, they hadn't slept together. She's a good woman, she's just been put in an unfortunate situation. I don't want to force her hand into betraying me, just to have an excuse to leave her. I will do the right thing, and free her from our engagement."

"And the baby?" Hermione asked, her heart, her hopes, soaring into the sky, nothing could bring them down now. Remus brought his other hand to her hip and Hermione placed her hands on his upper arms, revelling in the feel of his muscles beneath her hands.

"I understand many muggle families live apart, we may be a bit behind the times but we're not completely archaic in our beliefs. I will be part of the child's life, like any father."

Hermione nodded, desperately trying to keep her face neutral. Just because Remus was leaving Tonks, it didn't mean he was leaving Tonks for her. But then, why would he be telling her all this?

The two jumped apart when the back door slammed open.

"There you two are!" Ginny said happily, completely oblivious to the life altering conversation that had just happened. "Can you help me bring the food out?"

They nodded and helped Ginny carry out the large serving platters.

Ginny hadn't found it at all odd the two of them were holed up in the kitchen. They had reached something of a tentative friendship since news of Remus' engagement and Tonks' pregnancy broke.

Everyone figured the pair had happily moved on and though Hermione had stopped seeing Dean, no one suspected that the two faced a humungous battle of will to keep their hands off each other whenever they were in each other's presence. Remus and Hermione didn't know it either for that fact. Hermione, up until a week ago when he had confessed otherwise, had honestly thought that Remus was trying to be happy with Tonks and make an effort to be a family. Remus, miserable in his relationship with the mother of his child, didn't know what to think about Hermione. She had learned to keep her emotions hidden under tight lock and key in the last couple of months, since his engagement.

But the feelings were there, on both sides. Remus had finally received the shock he needed. He loved Hermione, he knew it, she knew it, he thought Tonks even knew it. He wanted to be with her, marry her and have a dozen little cubs, just like Sirius said. He didn't care if Hermione would get bored or fall out of love, he just wanted her for as long as she would let him have her. Hermione too was in the same headspace, the same one she had been in all along. Sirius had never been right in his assumptions of Hermione. She loved Remus for Remus, not because he was a werewolf, or dangerous or in need of saving. She loved him. It was as simple as that.

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**A/N Aww, but what will happen next? Who is the other man and will Sirius find love? Tune in tomorrow for the answers to these questions and more!  
**


	17. Chapter 17

News of Tonks and Remus' break up reached the Burrow a couple of days later. News of Tonks and Kingsley taking up together reached them two weeks after that and the kitchen sat in silence.

"Is the baby even Remus'?" Ron asked to the silent kitchen.

"He says he's sure it is, her symptoms flare up around the full moon," Hermione told them. Mrs Weasley and Ginny shot her strange looks but Harry voiced what they were thinking.

"How do you know that? I thought you two were staying pretty clear of each other the last couple of weeks."

Hermione cleared her throat awkwardly and wouldn't look at any of them.

"He told me before, before he broke up with her."

"Did you have something to do with this?" Mrs Weasley demanded. She would have loved for Hermione and Remus to end up together but she also believed that two parents should be together for their child's sake.

"No," Hermione said defensively. "I begged him to reconsider but – but he already knew about Kingsley. He knew Tonks wasn't happy."

"So are you two going to get back together?" Ron asked tactlessly.

"I don't know. I don't think so." She let her mind wander back to her conversation with Remus in the garden almost six months ago now and the one just a few weeks before. He'd express sadness and longing but never did he say he regretted it. He never said he wished he hadn't broken up with her, only that he hadn't meant for things with Tonks to end up like this.

"He'll come to his senses," Sirius said quietly by the corner. Hermione shot him a grateful smile and excused herself, heading up to her room to finish packing. She was moving out, into Grimmauld Place. Sirius had been a good friend, looking past the way she used him. He'd spent many nights, just holding her, while she grieved over the loss of Remus to Tonks, to the unborn child he hadn't given her.

Sirius, and Hermione too, was grateful their relationship had slowly moved pass his feelings of affection of a more romantic persuasion. He still cared very deeply for the young witch, but it wasn't how he knew Remus cared for her. It was more like how the boys felt about her, more then friends, less then lovers.

"Nearly done?" he asked, following her up to her room. He began boxing books as he surveyed the room. It still looked full and he realised it still held Ginny's childhood memories.

"Yep," she said, nodding sharply.

"Don't do this to yourself, Hermione," Sirius commanded.

"Do what?" Hermione said, looking up. She smiled cheekily despite the tears that glistened in her eyes. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"That. Don't try to brush this off and claim it isn't killing you." Sirius stopped packing to watch her as she continued to sort through clothes. She had insisted she wanted to do it the muggle way. "Everything has righted itself, Remus is free again, I don't stubbornly stand in the way and yet he still hasn't come to you. Don't try and claim that those old wounds have stopped bleeding. I know all about them, Hermione. No matter how much time has passed, they tend to seep every now and then."

"They don't," she said airily. "I don't know what you've been smoking Sirius but you and I both know I'm over Remus. Got it?"

"Got it," he said, holding his hands up in defence. They continued packing, finishing up and levitating the boxes downstairs to floo to Grimmauld Place.

"Oh Hermione," Mrs Weasley cried when she saw Hermione come down the stairs. She'd been living at the Burrow for over a year now and she though of her as a daughter, leaving home.

The two woman embraced, for Hermione too thought of Mrs Weasley as a surrogate mother.

"I'll take good care of her, Molly," Sirius assured the Weasley matriarch. They broke apart, both wiping away their tears.

"This is so silly," Hermione wept. "it's not like I'm moving to the other side of the country. I'll just be a floo away."

"That's right," Mrs Weasley said, giving the young woman another hug. "You floo me if you need anything, if Sirius' has forgotten the milk or if you need to talk or a descent meal, no offence Sirius."

"None taken," he said jovially.

Hermione nodded as Mrs Weasley imparted some advice for Hermione's ears only.

"Okay, ready?" Sirius asked as they women broke apart again. Ron, Harry and Ginny had been flooing Hermione's boxes during this exchange. The boys rolled their eyes but Ginny shed a few tears, remembering her own separation from her childhood home.

"I want you to go out and have fun, be a young person!" Mrs Weasley commanded. Sirius flooed ahead of Hermione and nodding her agreement to do so, she too stepped into the fireplace, shouting 'Grimmauld Place!'"

Flooing into the kitchen she was surprised to see Ginny, Harry, Ron and Sirius waiting silently for her.

"What happened?" she joked nervously. "Did you ruin my books?"

Sirius's glance shifted to the left of her and she gasped to see Remus waiting, sitting atop the kitchen bench.

"Remus! What are you doing here?"

"I – ahh – I actually came to talk to Sirius about the full moon," Remus stammered, not meeting her eyes. He was obviously surprised to see her and all her stuff there. He jumped down from the counter, unintentionally landing just beside her.

"Have dinner with me?" she blurted impulsively.

Behind them the others watched, their curiosity reaching breaking point.

"I'll cook," he said coolly, his face blank. "Tonight? My place, seven."

"See you then," Hermione said, grabbing one of her boxes and heading upstairs.

Sirius smirked at Remus as the other followed Hermione upstairs.

"What?" Remus demanded, punching his friend lightly in the arm.

"Nothing," Sirius sniggered.

"Shut up then," Remus said as the two sparred around the kitchen, knocking things over and breaking more then one cup.

"I'll cook," Sirius mocked just before Remus landed a right hook to his jaw. "Moony, shit, that hurt."

"Whoops, sorry."

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**A/N What happened to all my reviews? Do I have to threaten to end it for you to review? lol**

**A lot of you thought that Sirius was the other man but alas no. I think it would be a little weird, the whole partner swapping. Besides, wouldn't you rather Sirius have a woman just to himself, one who had never been near Remus? **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N Sorry it took so long, bleh week which included a migraine from Satan himself that took me a couple of days to get over. **

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Hermione stood nervously in front of Remus' door, bottle of wine in one hand, a book he had lent her nearly a year ago in the other. Mentally she went over what she planned to say to him, hoping and preying that her resolve would stick. Right now her relationship with Remus was one big mess. She didn't know where she stood with him, she didn't know what she was feeling let alone what he was feeling. She had decided that they needed to sit down and hash it all out. Lay everything on the table and then hopefully they would be able to move on.

Shaking her head of all negative thoughts she knocked lightly on the door, determined to enjoy as much of the evening as possible before it all came crashing down around her.

She bit back a laugh as Remus opened the door, dressed in a flowery apron.

"Molly loaned it to me," he interjected before she could get a word out.

"I didn't say anything," Hermione said with a smile. She handed him the bottle of wine and received his awkward kiss on the cheek.

"What's that?" he asked, gesturing to the book.

Hermione looked down surprised to see she was still holding it.

"It's a book. The book you lent me –"

"When you were sick," Remus realised, taking it from her outstretched hand. "You were sleeping when I brought it to you."

"You left it on the table."

They both stood silently, each thinking back to the earliest days of their relationship, when that first cup of milk was simply shared between two friends, nothing more.

Finally, Remus cleared his throat and broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Do you want a tour?" he asked, waving his arm to indicate the house at large. Hermione smiled in acceptance, grateful for some normal, safe conversation.

He led her through the rooms, showing her his study and the guest room and the room that will be the nursery for when the baby is old enough to stay with him. She tagged along behind him, commenting on the things that were obiviously picked out by Remus, falling silent on the things that were obviously put there by Tonks. The large picture in the guest room was obviously added by Tonks while the study just screamed Remus. She could feel him in everywhere in that room, yet she couldn't put her finger on what it was exactly that made the room so 'Remus', it just was.

"Dinner's ready," Remus said from the doorway. Hermione jumped in surprised, dropping the book she had been looking over.

She hastily replaced it and followed him to the table. It was set beautifully, but casually; there was a vase of flowers but no candles.

"Aww," Hermione said when he placed a plate of roast chicken and vegetables down in front of her. "You made my favourite."

"Yeah – you – well." He blushed and took his seat. She smiled at him and accepted the wine he offered.

They talked of only light topics; work and the Weasleys, Ginny and Harry, steering clear of the actual wedding, the new muggle clothing store that had gone up in Diagon Ally. As dessert neared, Hermione could feel the tension in the room increase. They both had things to say and as the meal ended they knew that soon it would all be over. And not just the food.

"Do you want to go first or shall I?" Remus asked, getting straight to the point. The light mood evaporated, leaving behind a dull ache in Hermione's stomach.

"I will, if you don't mind."

Remus nodded and Hermione began.

"I love you. There is nothing I would like more then to be with you. You make me feel like I could change the world. You make me feel like me."

Remus just sat quietly and listened, letting her have her say.

"But we've wronged each other so much I don't think we'll ever be able to move pass the hurt."

"Do you want to?" Remus asked, holding his breath in anticipation of her answer.

"Of course I do, how can you think that I wouldn't want to?"

"I don't think that, but you're not even willing to try!" Remus said, suddenly angry that she didn't want to work for a 'them'.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked exasperated. "Willing to try what? You haven't suggested anything to try. Try at being friends? Lovers? Sworn enemies? I'm just dealing with you breaking up with me and impregnating another woman the best way I know how. It's not _my_ fault if I'm not down on my knees, begging you to take me back!"

They were both standing, their desserts forgotten and their chairs thrown back. Hermione had made a decision that morning. She loved Remus. But it wasn't enough. She deserved the world and even if he was willing to give it to her, it was too late.

"Because I'm the one who broke up with you the blame lies with me? You are the one who slept with my best friend."

"Don't bring Sirius into this; you don't know what you are talking about!"

"What?" Remus asked quietly, shocked by her words. "Is there something going on between you?"

"Sirius is a friend, a better friend than you ever were as a boyfriend."

"Hermione…" he trailed off, unsure of what he was feeling. "I love you. These months have been awful and hard. I'm ready now. I'm ready to be who you need me to be. I can be that man for you now. I want to try to make us work."

"I don't."

"Hermione, no. I need you," Remus begged. He fell to his knees and buried his head in her stomach, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"And its killing me! Seeing you with Tonks, seeing you and not being able to have you killed me. I can't go through it all again only to have you break my heart. I'm sorry Remus, but I don't trust you and you shouldn't trust me."

"I need you, Hermione. I need you." Hermione sucked in a breath as Remus lifted her shirt, revealing the soft skin of her stomach and started to kiss it gently.

"Remus, stop," Hermione said but her body betrayed her as her hand grasped Remus' head, drawing him closer.

"You need me, Hermione," Remus growled, unbuttoning her jeans. She knew that Remus wasn't fully in control, that the wolf had a firm grip on the wheel, but she couldn't tear herself away from him. They needed this, they needed closure. She allowed him to pull her down to the floor and remove her jeans. She moaned and squirmed beneath him, relishing the feel of his rough hands on her skin. They attacked each other, their lovemaking hard and aggressive, no gentleness. The hurt, pain, and betrayal manifested itself, causing love bites to be harder then usual, nails to scratch a little deeper. Hermione delighted in the violence in the act, crying out in pleasure as he shoved her up against the wall, thrusting mercilessly into her.

She gave herself to him, completely, one last time.

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**A/N Don't hate me, please review and this isn't the end...**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N This is it dearies, the last chapter, sort of. Read the A/N at the end...**

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Sirius heard the front door shut and lowered his book. From where he was sitting in the drawing room, he could see the hall table Hermione had bought for him last week. He watched as she emptied her pockets onto the table and shrugged off her coat. The light caught her face and he gasped at what he saw. Her lips were red and swollen. Her bottom lip was slightly bruised from what looked like a bite mark. The jaw line on the left side of her face was bruised and she winced as she joined him on the sofa.

"What happened? Were you attacked? Did you fight?" Sirius asked, putting his book down on the coffee table and leaning closer to her to get a better look.

Hermione laughed, tentatively touching her index and middle finger to her mouth.

"No, we didn't fight."

"Well, what the hell happened?" Sirius demanded, running his eyes over the rest of her body, looking for further injury. One of her wrists was bruised in the shape of … in the shape of a handprint.

"We got closure," Hermione said, blushing slightly. Sirius sighed as a myriad of emotions and visions ran through his mind. Remus should never had let the wolf get control of him like that and Hermione shouldn't have let him do this to her.

"I wanted it," she said, anticipating his thoughts. "I wanted rough; I wanted to physically feel the emotions. I wanted him to drive me into that wall. I wanted to feel his pain."

"Why?" Sirius asked, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

Hermione let out a chocked sob. "I wanted to suffer."

"What?" Sirius said slowly, not quite believing what he was hearing. "Hermione, you don't deserve to suffer, ever."

"I screwed up so badly, Sirius. Not tonight, before. Being with you, pretending I could be friends with him. I love him but I can't be with him. I don't think that I could ever trust him like I did before. And I don't want that," she rushed on, trying to convince herself as much as him. "I don't want _almost _everything, I want the whole lot. I should have just tried to move on when he first broke it off."

Sirius sat there, helpless. He listened as Hermione berated herself, unsure of what to do or to say to make her hurt stop.

"But I clung, I clung so hard to the hope that he would turn around, change his mind and want me back. Dean was a joke, I should have never been with him. Everything just fell apart and then it was right and good and he left Tonks and he wanted to be with me and – and I couldn't do it. I could not do it. I finally got what I wanted and I didn't want it anymore."

Hermione's words came out slurred and disjointed through her tears.

She protested as Sirius suddenly scooped her up and carried her through the house. Up the stairs they went, taking special care not to upset anything along the way. He kicked opened the nicest bathroom in the house's door and deposited her in the middle of the room. He set the tub to filling with a flick of his wand and directed the salts and oils into the warm water.

"Take a bath, relax and then come find me. We'll talk for as long as you want and we'll get you cleaned up. Okay?"

"Okay," Hermione hiccupped. Sirius left her to settle, leaving the door open a crack to hear her if she called out.

When he reached the kitchen to get the first aide box Molly had sent over he was shocked to see Moony stepping through the fireplace.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius all but growled at his old friend.

"Is she here?" he asked, looking around the kitchen as if she was hiding under the table. "I need to talk to her."

"She's upstairs having a bath," Sirius said pushing Remus back towards the fireplace. "She looks like she's been beaten, Moony. What were you thinking?"

Remus ignored Sirius and tried to push past him up the stairs but Sirius blocked his path. They stood glaring at each other a moment before Remus launched himself at Sirius, knocking them both down. Unlike that morning, their fighting was serious and full of anger. Remus slammed Sirius into the ground, pinning him down. Sirius was quicker then Remuc thought though and soon rolled them, connecting his fist to Remus' face. All around the kitchen they wrestled, occasionally picking up objects to use as weapons. They picked themselves up off the floor, drawing their wands and pointing them at each other's throats.

"She's not the innocent party in this Sirius, we're equally to blame. You should see my back; it looks like Crookshanks was using it as a scratching post."

"Don't," Sirius said, disgusted, shaking his head. "She has bruises on her arms and her face. How could you do that to someone you supposedly love?"

"She asked for it!" Remus defended. "And it wasn't all me, the full moon is two nights away!"

"Stop using Moony as an excuse. Her skin was pure and white and you forced her down and marked her. She hurt you and bruised your pride and you can tell yourself whatever you want to help you sleep at night but the fact is, Remus, you hurt her. What was it she said? Oh that's right, that you drove her into the wall, that she felt your pain."

Remus dropped his wand and his eyes, ashamed.

"Is that what it was about, Remus? Making sure she was hurting as bad as you were?"

"I would never want to hurt her as much as I'm hurting. I don't know what happened, Sirius. I just lost control. I tried to back off but she bit me and that was it; I was gone."

Sirius sighed and also lowered his wand. He knew how aggressive Hermione could be when she wanted something. Most people didn't see it but she was a little firecracker. He'd learned that first hand when she had seduced him. They moved to sit down but stopped dead when they heard Hermione's cry of frustration.

"Sirius!" she called down the stairs. "Can you come help me? I can't, I can't get my shirt on, I'm too sore."

"I better go," Remus said, looking up the stairs. When he titled his head Sirius saw a clear bite mark on his neck. Not a hickey but a proper bite.

"I'll be right there," Sirius called. He turned to watch Remus forlornly make his way to the fireplace and floo home.

He found Hermione wrapped in a large bath sheet, standing awkwardly by the bathroom door. First Aide in one hand he used his free one to steer her towards his bedroom, the closest. He set the fire blazing and helped her onto the bed.

"He was here," Hermione stated, it wasn't a question. Sirius empited the box onto the bed and searched for some healing ointment.

"Uh, yeah," Sirius answered, not sure what to say. "You took a fair chunk out of his neck."

Hermione blushed bright red and winced as Sirius applied some ointment to her bruises. She looked through the potions and finding a pain killing one, sculled it in one go.

Sirius instructed her to lie on her stomach and he pulled the towel down, exposing her raw and bruised back. She studied him over her shoulder as he liberally applied the ointment to the scrapes and bruises.

"You fought," she said, another statement. "You're bleeding."

"Just defending your honour, love," he said, winking at her. She handed him a clean cloth out of the box and he dabbed at his split lip.

They were silent as he finished up on her back. He found another pain potion and took it himself. He readjusted her towel and lay on the bed next to her, the way two friends who are familiar with each other do.

She turned her head to the other side to look at him properly. He was staring into the fire, the flame light dancing across his dark features.

"You're a good friend, Sirius. To both of us. Don't be angry at him for this, it wasn't his fault."

"Just get some rest, Hermione," he sighed wearily. Hermione swallowed and turned away, unsure what she had done to upset him.

Sirius felt a stab of guilt shoot through him. He wasn't angry at her, he was angry at himself. Even battered and bruised she was beautiful and his body let him know it. He lay next to her all night, covering her with the blanket while he stayed on top.

The flames danced merrily in the fireplace. As Sirius grew more and more weary he imagined he could see him and Hermione moving together in the flame, skin against skin, touches white hot. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and finally allowed sleep to claim him, not even aware of the delicate feminine hand that lay in his.

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**A/N First, I'm 40 reviews away from 300 (hint hint), pie to all who review...**

**Second, this isn't so much as an ending as a bridging chapter for the sequel, _Firewhiskey_, yet to be posted. I think you can see where I'm going with it. cough Sirius cough  
**

**Third, Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited, alerted and just plain old read this story. You guys are amazing, I love you all! **

**Look for the sequel to be posted (the first chpater anyway) in the next week or so. **

**Bye!**


	20. Chapter 20

Firewhisky is up. Even if you don't like the idea of Sirius, you should still give it a read cause it will have lots of Remus in it still, with the baby and all. It won't be like chapter one, sirius and hermione are together, its a journey.


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